Across The Stars
by SpeechBubbleMe
Summary: My first real fanfic, don't judge - AU slow-burn Obi-Wan x OC. Planning to span from the prequels to the new movie, but we'll see how far it goes. Rhys Talik Naberrie is chosen to be a Jedi and is brought to the Jedi Temple to be the padawan of Master Yoda. Along the way she falls in with a certain group of friends - particularly my favorite ginger padawan!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Qui-Gon Jinn tried to repress the urge to roll his eyes as he exited the Queen's throne room. The current Queen of Naboo, Queen Malika, was a bit older than usual for the ruler of the Naboo and had developed a sense of paranoia at the coming close of her second term of office. She had requested that a Jedi preside over the final round of elections with the belief that some anarchist group or other would attempt to disturb it. He had spoken to her upon his arrival, but she refused to cooperate with the security forces to prevent the problem.

Qui-Gon had no doubt that something would happen on this mission – he had encountered a disturbance in the Force as soon as he had stepped off his ship. He couldn't tell at this point whether its intent was good or bad, but he knew to let the feeling run its course.

As he walked across the stone floors, Qui-Gon picked up a nearly imperceptible change in the flow of energy around him. He had a sudden impression to follow the changes to its source. Qui-Gon wove through the empty halls, searching for the source in the change of energy. Finally he came to a closed door that reverberated with the squeals of young children.

 _Of course,_ Qui-Gon thought, _I had to find a youngling on this mission_. He sighed, but followed his urge to knock on the door. A pregnant woman answered the door, revealing a group of about fifteen children under the age of ten running around the room.

"Whose children are these?" he asked softly, stepping into the room. Most of the children paid no attention to his entrance with the exception of a little girl that looked to be about eight.

"Children of the diplomats working in the elections, Master Jedi," the pregnant woman answered. Qui-Gon nodded and gestured inquiringly to a small chair in a corner of the large room.

"May I sit and observe for a few moments?" he asked. The woman hesitated, but finally nodded her assent. Qui-Gon sat down in the chair and watched the children play, certain that one of them was the source of the ripple in the Force. The woman soon left the room, informing the Jedi that she would be back shortly. As soon as she was gone the little girl that had watched him enter sat down at his feet, spreading her fine dress around her before she sat down.

Qui-Gon could feel her curiosity seep into the Force as she stared at him with her head cocked slightly to one side. She looked a little small for her age, but her green eyes betrayed her intelligence. Her long brown hair had been elaborately coiffed in the style of the Naboo, painstakingly braided and pinned to mimic the style of the current Queen. A beautiful white dress – masterfully made – indicated her as a daughter of one of the fairly wealthy royal-appointed diplomats or aides that were required to prepare for the upcoming elections.

"You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?" the little girl asked with perfect clarity.

"Yes," he answered, then leaned in conspiratorially, "I'm on a very important mission for the Queen – top secret, you know." She raised an eye in disbelief and shook her head.

"No it's not," she retorted, "I know why you're here! To watch the elections!"

Qui-Gon tried his best to look stern at her, "And how would you know that?"

She shrugged her shoulders and looked at the floor, "I listened, I guess…"

Qui-Gon was surprised at her simple answer. He had by now deduced that she had some connections to the Force and routinely used her mind to check on the conditions of the various children running around the room. Qui-Gon did think it strange that he couldn't sense her through the Force, but she could have figured out how to use the Force to conceal her energy signature.

"What did you listen to?" he asked, "There are not many that know of my presence here."

"I just knew you were coming," she said matter-of-factly.

The pregnant woman came back into the room just then – both the Qui-Gon and the girl were aware of her coming presence long before she entered through the door. The girl hurriedly scurried away from the Jedi and back to the pack of children where she resumed playing dolls with a younger girl in a nearly identical dress. Qui-Gon stood up and walked over to the woman who had taken a seat in a chair by the door.

"That little one there," Qui-Gon said, gesturing to the little girl he had been talking to, "Who are her parents?" The woman didn't answer for a moment, and seemed visibly nervous.

"She's my daughter," she said finally, staring at him as if daring him to talk to her daughter.

"How old is she?"

"Nearly eight."

Qui-Gon frowned slightly at her answer – usually children were brought to the Temple as infants or toddlers. If he brought this girl to the Temple now she would always remember her family, and her family would remember her as well.

"What is her name?" he asked.

"Rhys Talik Naberrie," came the reply. The Jedi Master thought for a moment; he would definitely have to contact the Council about the girl. He made up his mind, then stood up and walked to the door.

"May I contact you after the elections?" he inquired. The mother hesitated, but gave her information. Qui-Gon saw that little Rhys saw and heard everything that had transpired between him and her mother. The Jedi thanked the mother, then left to his chambers to contact the Council.

* * *

"A vergence in the Force?"

Qui-Gon stood in front of his communicator that displayed him in front of the Jedi Council. His friend, Mace Windu, had seemed apprehensive at first, but had gradually warmed to the idea of accepting Rhys as a youngling in the Temple.

"Yes," Qui-Gon answered, folding his hands in front of him, "She is strong with the Force already, and I do not believe that I was led to her for any other purpose. She is meant to be a Jedi, I know it."

Master Yoda, who until this point had said nothing, suddenly spoke, "About the girl's abilities, how feel the parents?"

Qui-Gon sighed, "They don't whole-heartedly support the idea that their daughter could be a Jedi. They seemed to be very family-oriented." Master Yoda nodded sagely, then closed his eyes in thought.

"Go to Naboo, I must," the ancient Jedi said. The rest of the Council stared at him in shock – the oldest Master hardly ever left the Temple for such matters, "Important to the future, this youngling is. Need her, we will, to battle against the growing disturbance in the Force. Teach her myself, I will. After the elections, arrive I will."

Qui-Gon tried not to stare in disbelief – Yoda was offering to be her teacher before even meeting the girl. Then again, the old Master was known for his power of foresight and visions of the future. He bowed, then disconnected the transmission as a summons from the Queen came over his communicator. _This is going to be a long mission_ , he thought as he accepted the summons.

Just as Qui-Gon had thought, the elections ran smoothly and soon a new Queen was on the throne – nineteen-year-old Queen Berendala. After giving his respects to the new Queen, Qui-Gon headed out to the main palace hanger where Yoda was due to arrive any moment. Soon enough, the transport carrying the little green Master touched down. Qui-Gon bowed as Yoda exited the ship.

"The elections, successful they were?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, Master. Everything went smoothly."

"Good, good," the ancient master said, "To the Naberrie home, guide me."

Both Jedi entered a shuttle to take them to the Naberrie's home outside of the capitol city, Theed in the nearby Lake Country. Most of the planet was out celebrating the new elections, but Qui-Gon had made sure that the Naberrie's would be at home. He had contacted them alerting them to Master Yoda's interest in their daughter. The father, Ruwee, had been far more receptive to his contact than the mother, Jobal. She was wary of the Jedi, but had allowed Qui-Gon to interact with Rhys in order to determine the depth of her Force connection.

As Qui-Gon had come to know the girl, he had discovered the she was very connected to the world around her. Rhys seemed to have an empathetic connection through the Living Force, feeling the emotions of those that surrounded her. The little girl had actually found her way to where he was sitting during the elections, and was quite content to talk with him about his adventures and life at the Jedi Temple for the course of several hours.

The two Jedi finally arrived at the Naberrie's home in the Naboo Lake Country. Qui-Gon couldn't help but marvel at the crystal waters, serene mountains, and the beautiful harmony of the nature around him. This place was teeming with the Living Force that created an air of peace and tranquility. When they reached the door, Yoda rapped gently on the wood with his gimer stick. Ruwee, dressed in his ceremonial robes from earlier in the morning, opened the door and welcomed the two Jedi into his home.

Jobal and Rhys were waiting for them in a small sitting room. As they entered, Ruwee explained that their younger daughter Sola was taking a nap. Jobal still eyed the Jedi warily, but seemed to accept their presence for the time being. Rhys quietly regarded Yoda with curiosity and amazement – she had never seen anyone so old and so small.

"Strong in the Force, your daughter is," the ancient master said, placing his gnarled hands on top of one another, "Willing to take her as my padawan learner, I am. Take this offer lightly, you should not."

Both of the Naberrie's looked at Yoda in shock – Qui-Gon hadn't told them about the old master's offer on his request to tell them himself. They had never dreamed that the legendary Jedi Council member would even consider taking their daughter as his student, and knew that his offer was something rarely – if ever – given.

"If she goes to the Jedi Temple, will we ever see her again?" Jobal asked, fear and sadness evident in her voice. Yoda closed his eyes in thought.

"Unorthodox, this event is. For her and your safety, keep your name she cannot," The mother's face fell at his words, "However," Yoda added, "Foresee I do a time when needed by her kin, she will be. Willing to allow contact with her family, I am, if interfere they do not."

Both parents let out a sigh of relief at his words. Qui-Gon was genuinely surprised at the grizzled master's words – very few exceptions were made when considering younglings to be brought to the Temple. Qui-Gon didn't always agree with the Council's methods and rules, but now he could feel that this was the right course for the girl's future.

"Do I get to live in the Temple with you?" Rhys asked, stepping away from her parents.

"Yes," Qui-Gon answered her, "But you'll be able to contact your parents through message and holos." Yoda stood up and addressed Rhys and her parents.

"Settled, it is. A Jedi Knight, she will be."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rhys wasn't scared. She could feel in the Force – as Qui-Gon had called it – that this was the correct road to take. She knew that her destiny lay with the Jedi and not on Naboo with her parents. She loved her parents, but they couldn't understand what she'd felt. She would miss them and Sola – even though her four-year-old sister was still angry at her for leaving her behind.

As she waved goodbye to her family from the ramp of the ship, she felt a small hand on her shoulder. She looked over and saw Master Yoda right behind her, beckoning to her. With one last goodbye to her family, Rhys scampered up the ship's ramp and to the side of the little green Jedi. He motioned for her to kneel in front of him that her head was nearly level with his.

"Your first lesson in the ways of the Force will I give you," he said, "The Force is all around us, in every living thing. It connects and binds all life together. We live in harmony with the Force – not just warriors with a lightsaber are we, but protectors of life."

"Master," Rhys hedged tentatively, "I heard Master Qui-Gon speak about midi-chlorians. What are midi-chlorians?"

Master Yoda looked pleased by his new apprentice's curious nature, smiling softly at her questions. He spent the rest of the hyperspace journey back to Coruscant answering her endless stream of questions about the Force, the Jedi, and – strangely enough – his own life. Rhys proved to be insatiably curious about her new Master, loving the ancient Jedi's endless fountain of wisdom and stories. She especially loved the stories about his time as a padawan more than eight centuries ago. Qui-Gon watched the interaction with amusement – his padawan, Xanatos, had been very curious like that.

But Xanatos was gone now, swayed by the power of the dark side. No one had seen or heard of the fallen apprentice since he had turned and fought with Qui-Gon. Since the fall of Xanatos, Qui-Gon had thrown himself furiously into his missions and hadn't even thought about taking on a padawan since. But this curious little girl that had spent most of his time on Naboo pestering him with talk and questions made him yearn for his years spent teaching a child the ways of the Force.

As they neared Coruscant, Qui-Gon gave Rhys a spare set of robes and a tunic that was commonly worn in the Temple. Rhys would eventually get her own sets, but for now she could use the spares. The tunic was a little long and the shirt a little baggy, but the little girl was ecstatic upon receiving them.

Instead of going to one of the larger landing pads, Yoda instructed the pilots to land the shuttle in the holding bay usually reserved for the members of the Jedi High Council. Qui-Gon agreed with the old master – Rhys would most likely be overwhelmed if they entered by way of one of the other landing pads. As soon as they touched down Rhys eagerly scampered to the lowering ramp.

"Padawan," Yoda chided, "By my side is your place." The girl's face fell for a moment, then brightened as she took her place by her master's side.

"Yes, Master," she chirped as she walked beside him. Qui-Gon smiled at the pleased look on the older Jedi's face – Yoda rarely had such a receptive or obedient student.

As they descended the ship's ramp, Qui-Gon could make out the forms of Masters Plo Koon and Ki-Adi Mundi. Both were recent additions to the High Council, and were several years older than he was. They stared at Yoda's new padawan with surprise and amazement as the three met them in the hangar.

"Masters Plo Koon and Ki-Adi Mundi, meet my new padawan, Rhys Talik." Both masters bowed slightly, with Rhys returning the gesture. Qui-Gon gave a small smile of approval – Yoda had taught her much in the small amount of time that they were on the shuttle.

"Master Yoda," Plo Koon said, his voice filtering through the anti-ox mask he wore, "You're needed in the Council chambers." Yoda closed his eyes in thought.

"Very well," he said, then turned to Qui-Gon, "Expect your report, the Council does, Master Jinn."

"Yes, Master," Qui-Gon replied.

* * *

Mace Windu was baffled when Yoda insisted on bringing Rhys into the Council chambers. Generally, the Council members with padawans hardly ever brought them into the Council room unless to give them some task or to give their report. Mace tried to argue, but the ancient master simply raised a hand.

"Need this experience, she will, in the future." Mace gave up arguing and sat down in his chair.

"Your report, Master Jinn," Mace said tiredly.

Rhys sat, spellbound, on the floor by her master's seat as she listened to Qui-Gon give his report of the events on Naboo to the Council. The Force was so strong in the room she could practically feel it churning around her. She felt the urge to touch the flow of energy and – like a child stirring a still body of water – produced small ripples in the river of the Force. Yoda immediately felt what his padawan was doing and fixed her with a pointed look. Once Qui-Gon had left, Yoda presented her to the Council.

"Young, she is, but strong in the Force," Yoda said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Powerful she will be," Yaddle, an old Jedi of Yoda's species, said as she pointed to the new padawan. The other Council members seemed to be surprised by her voice, but took her wisdom with great thought.

With those words, the Council dismissed and Yoda took Rhys on a tour of the Temple. She was amazed by the vastness of it all, and didn't bother holding back her questions. Countless other Jedi passed them, bowing to the ancient master in respect. Yoda finally stopped in front of his quarters, where Rhys would stay as his padawan. Yoda showed her to her room, where better clothes had been laid out for her. The girl quickly changed into a cream-colored tunic with brown pants tucked into her boots.

They continued their tour, stopping in front of the Jedi Archives. Jocasta Nu, the wizened keeper of the Archives, met them at the entrance and immediately to a liking to the new padawan. She, too, was pleased by the endless barrage of questions and was all too happy to answer them. Master Nu soon showed Rhys the Archives, explaining every statue and relic as they went. Too soon, in Rhys's opinion, Yoda led her away from the Archives and to the Medical Wing.

"Master Yoda!" Barrit Chopa, a young Togruta healer greeted, "What can I do for you?"

"A midi-chlorian test, my padawan needs, Barrit," Yoda said, guiding Rhys to linen-covered bed. Barrit seemed surprised – he had never heard of the Grand Master having a new padawan, but he saw nothing wrong with a youngling having a midi-chlorian test. Most younglings had their midi-chlorian count monitored for their first few years at the Jedi Temple.

"Of course," Barrit answered, grabbing a data-reader and a small needle. He knelt next to the bed, holding Rhys's hand out. "What's your name?" he asked her.

"Rhys Talik," she answered, curiously gazing at the young healer.

"Well, Rhys, I'm going to poke your finger so that I can get a bit of your blood. It won't hurt much, but it needs to happen, all right?" She nodded her assent and presented a small finger.

True to Barrit's word, the poke did hurt, but the Rhys's pain was soon forgotten as she saw the healer place a few drops of her blood into the data-reader. The small machine made a high-pitched beep, then presented its findings. Barrit stared at the results in confusion – the reading was off the charts, even higher than Yoda's!

"Master, there must be some mistake!" Barrit exclaimed, showing Yoda the data-reader. The old master simply smiled and returned the data-reader to Barrit's hands.

"Confirmed, my suspicions are," Yoda said, turning to go, "Helpful you were, young healer. Come, Padawan. Much more to do today, we have." Rhys gave the dumbstruck healer a winning smile as she followed her master out of the Medical Wing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rhys had been at the Temple for two weeks when her master had introduced her to her new Initiate clan. The children of this clan were about three years her senior, but Master Yoda was confident that they would challenge and teach her in ways that those her age could not. And so it was that Rhys found herself alone in a group of older children, a padawan among Initiates.

She fingered her padawan braid nervously – after nearly two weeks with the braid hanging by her right ear Rhys still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of the shoulder-length braid brushing her neck. The rest of her long brown hair was neatly twisted into a bun at the nape of her neck. Following her padawan braid ceremony, Master Adi Gallia had shown her one of the best ways to keep her hair out of her face. The Tholossian Jedi Master had been one of the first Council members to openly accept her as Yoda's padawan, and had since shown her many things that the female Jedi did.

Her first lightsaber class had been a disaster. Her quick reflexes and natural agility lent to some skill with the training sabers, but her quick learning had been a bit of a sore spot with some of the older Initiates. They had retaliated with insults and biting comments as soon as the Jedi Master in charge left to tutor another student. Rhys ended up staying in the back of the class and practicing the katas by herself, as no one else wanted to be her sparring partner.

After the class was over and the other Initiates had left, Rhys wandered over to where some of the older Initiates were sparring and practicing for the next Tournament. Combat Tournaments were often used to find masters for Initiates ready to be padawans and to find out who would be sent to the AgriCorps. Rhys looked around in awe at the skill around her, finally settling on a boy with reddish hair practicing a complicated kata alone.

She watched him for a little while, his blue practice saber flashing around him with practiced ease. Rhys was delighted to find that she could determine the form that he was using: Ataru, the fourth lightsaber form that focused on using speed and agility. The boy executed a flawless parry, then flipped away from his imaginary opponent. Rhys clapped as soon as he landed.

He stared at her with an eyebrow cocked. "I didn't realize that I was performing," he said, his accent identifying him as from the Inner Rim.

"You're very good," Rhys said, stepping onto the practice mats, "Are you going to compete in the Tournament in a few days?"

"Yes, you?" He picked up a towel from a rack and began to wipe sweat from his neck.

Rhys shook her head, "No, but I'll be watching with my Master." The boy stopped to look at her much like the other Initiates had, a mix of surprise and disbelief but without the blatant jealousy.

"What's your name?" he asked, studying her face closely. Rhys shrunk away from his scrutiny, shyly bowing her head.

"Rhys Talik," she answered, not meeting his eyes. The boy was quiet for a moment, then made a small sound of approval. Rhys looked at him in confusion.

"You must be Master Yoda's new apprentice, then. Everyone went out of their heads when he left the Temple," he said, extending a hand, "I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Rhys hesitantly took his hand and shook it, "Nice to meet you, Obi-Wan."

"Nice to meet you too," Obi-Wan said, picking up his discarded outer robes and draping them over a small bag, "I'm sorry I can't talk for long, I promised a friend that I would help them with meditation before the Tournament. I guess I'll see you around?" Rhys watched him walk to the doors of the now-empty Training Room.

"Wait!" she called out, causing him to turn around partially and look back at her, "You're not mad at me like everyone else?" Obi-Wan smiled and turned around fully to face the young padawan.

"Why would I be mad at you?" he asked. Rhys shrugged in response. "I think that if Master Yoda decided to take a padawan at such a young age it must be the will of the Force. I may be just an Initiate, but I know that nothing gets in the way of the Force. If it was meant to be, it's meant to be."

Rhys watched him turn and walk through the doors, astonishment etched on her face.

* * *

Rhys and her Master usually took their meals in the small room reserved for the Council member's privacy. The day after she had met Obi-Wan Yoda insisted that his apprentice eat in the main cafeteria with the other Initiates.

"Sad and lonely you have become, Padawan," he said, placing both hands sagely on his gimer stick, "Interact with others your own age you must, not just your old Master, hmmm?" Rhys protested to the best of her ability that her Master was _**not**_ old, but Yoda simply held up a small, clawed hand.

"Old I may be, Padawan," Yoda said matter-of-factly, "Still be among the Living Force when you return, I will. Go on."

Rhys, though unhappy at her Master's command, bowed respectfully and left their shared rooms. She remembered the way to the cafeteria from her tour of the Temple two weeks ago and quickly made her way to the line of Initiates and younglings patiently waiting for food. She eventually received a small tray laden with a nerf patty, a pair of warm pallies, and a carton of blue milk. Once she had gotten her food, Rhys looked around the room in dismay – many Initiates and younglings were already sending hate-laden glares in her direction. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment and looked at the ground.

"Rhys!" The young padawan looked over to the source of the sound, a secluded table by the wall of the cafeteria. Rhys was surprised to see the maker of the noise: Obi-Wan Kenobi, surrounded by several other Initiates around his age. She quickly walked over to Obi-Wan's table, ignoring the stares and looks sent her way.

Obi-Wan greeted her warmly, making room for her between a male Dressellian and a female Mon Calamari. The other two occupants of the table were a pair of humans that couldn't have been more opposite. The girl had long blonde tresses and a guarded look on her face, the boy had short dark hair with long strands on his neck where his padawan braid would eventually be and an amused smirk on his face.

"Rhys, this are my fellow clan-mates Bant, Reeft, Garen, and Siri," Obi-Wan said pointing to the Mon Calamari, Dressellian, and the two humans in turn, "This is Rhys Talik, Master Yoda's new padawan."

To her surprise, none of the Initiates surrounding Rhys gave any thought to the fact that she was an unusually young padawan to the Jedi Grandmaster. Rhys gave a mental sigh of relief as she allowed herself to relax around the five friends.

"I'm a padawan too," Reeft said, showing Rhys the twisted leather and bead braid attached to a headband on account of his lack of hair, "Master Binn Ibes picked me after the last Initiate Tournament. He's on a solo mission right now somewhere in the Outer Rim."

"Yeah, the rest of us are just Initiates, but not for long!" Garen exclaimed, his grin growing wider as his voice got louder.

"Quiet down you big nerfherder!" Siri hissed, pulling the beaming Garen back down, "I'm sure that half the Temple can hear you by now!"

Garen shrugged as he turned back to his food and speared a rather large piece of nerf patty and waved it around in Siri's direction. "Maybe I just need to be louder next time," he teased as Siri batted the food away from her face.

Obi-Wan shook his head with a hand over his face, "Do you both intend to argue about this for the next millennia?"

"Yes…..?"

"YES!"

Rhys tried not to giggle too loudly as the two friends bickered good-naturedly back and forth while Obi-Wan sent her apologetic looks from across the table. Bant, ever the peacekeeper, eventually got them to tell Rhys about the different aspects of Temple life, as she had only been there for a few weeks.

"I don't mean to sound greedy, but may I have your meat?" Reeft asked, gesturing to Rhys' half-eaten nerf patty.

"Still hungry, Reeft?" Garen teased.

"Of course," Reeft said apologetically, "My kind generally eats more than most beings – especially in adolescence."

"Hey, as long as you aren't eating me, I'll be fine," Garen joked, passing an uneaten pallie in Reeft's direction.

Giving Reeft their extra food seemed to be an unspoken ritual among the five friends, each passing some small portion of their meals to the growing Dressellian. He accepted the offerings gratefully, then quickly ate them. Reeft still looked mournfully at his plate once it was empty, but was not quite as sad with the addition of extra food. Once he had finished, the others checked their chronos at almost the exact same time.

"We should probably head to Master Vant's history lesson," Obi-Wan said, standing up from the table. Looking around her, Rhys realized that many of the cafeteria's occupants were beginning to trickle out of the room, heading to their next set of classes or free time.

"What about you, Rhys?" Bant asked as she stood up, "Where are you headed?"

"My Master wanted to meditate again with me," Rhys said sullenly, "He said that it's the foundation of every good Jedi."

"Nah, I'm sure he said it like this," Garen said as he cleared his throat and bent over in imitation of the ancient Jedi Master, "The foundation of every good Jedi, meditation is, young padawan!"

"Said that, I did?"

Rhys tried not to giggle as Garen jumped several feet in the air in his surprise. When he turned around to face Master Yoda his face was almost redder than Obi-Wan's blush of absolute mortification. The six children hurriedly bowed to the Master, noticing his look of amusement as he looked them over.

"Come, Padawan," Yoda finally said, beckoning to Rhys. She hurried to his side, stifling laughter.

"Gee, uh…. Well… you see, Master…. I…. uh…. Sorry, I guess…." Garen stammered out, unable to keep his sheer embarrassment from seeping into his voice.

"Think of it, you should not," Master Yoda said, turning away from the five friends, "Padawan, have a meditation session we do." Rhys tried not to groan as she followed her Master. Rhys turned back once her Master had left the room.

"You were really close to how he said it," she whispered conspiratorially to Garen. His face lost a bit of the blush, if anything Obi-Wan's cheeks grew even redder. Rhys scurried after her Master, trying to hide a growing grin.

Once Rhys had left the room, Garen allowed himself to break out into a lopsided grin.

"You know what, Obi, I think that little girl's gonna fit in fine with us."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Feel the Force flow through you…. Good, Padawan."

Rhys was standing on her hands, steadying herself with the Force. In only four weeks of being at the Temple, she had showed that she was a quick learner and was progressing at an unexpected rate for one her age. She was still struggling to meditate for long periods of time – she often told her Master that it felt like she was sticking her fingers into an electrical charge every time she attempted to meditate – but Yoda simply explained to her that her deep connection to the Force caused this sensation and that only through constant practice and repetition could she ever achieve meditation.

"Now, the block."

Rhys focused on the small block her Master was sitting on, focusing on the task of lifting it. Her initial attempts of the exercise had resulted in the block and Yoda blasting into the air – she had the power and strength, but lacked the control and focus needed to channel the motion. Now, after several weeks of practice Rhys found that she could now control even the most precise movements needed to keep her, Master Yoda, and several objects balanced or floating about the room.

The balancing exercise was one of Yoda's favorites to give to Rhys during their meditation period every morning at dawn. He also put into place a strict schedule of training and meditation all through the day to be used alongside her regular classes.

"Good, Padawan. Improving, your focus is," Yoda said from atop a floating block.

Although she was growing stronger in her connection to the Force, Rhys's arms began to shake under the strain of holding her body up in the air. She waveringly lowered the block holding her Master to the ground before collapsing and losing hold of the levitating objects. With prompting from her Master, Rhys pulled herself upright into a kneeling position in front of Master Yoda.

"Well, you have done, Padawan," the ancient Master said to his student, "Rest you will, for the remainder of the day." Rhys gave a sigh of relief – her eight-year-old frame while strong with bolstering from the Force was protesting loudly at her Master's exercises. "However, expect to see you at the Initiate Tournament, I do."

Rhys readily agreed, bowed to her Master in farewell, the set off to their shared quarters for a clean change of clothes before breakfast. Her thin training tank top and leggings were soaked with sweat from her labors. After a quick trip to the 'fresher and several gulps of water, Rhys headed down to the Temple cafeteria.

Even though Rhys generally ate her evening meal with her Master in the Council Lounge, she now enjoyed eating breakfast and lunch with her new friends. Reeft was on a mission with his Master and so would decrease their numbers and increase their extra food. Obi-Wan, Garen, Bant, and Siri were still without Masters, but they still had a year or so before they would leave for the AgriCorps. Reeft was the oldest of the eleven-year-olds, with Obi-Wan a close second. Garen and Bant were next, with Siri being almost a full year younger than Obi-Wan.

Hastily making her way through the food line, Rhys was the first to arrive at their usual table on the outskirts of the cafeteria. Bant was the next to appear, still slightly damp from her morning swim in the Room of A Thousand Fountains' lake as she sat down next to Rhys.

"Morning!" she cheerfully said, rejuvenated from her swim. The Mon Calamari Initiate was the first to wake up until Master Yoda instituted early morning meditations for his padawan. Rhys returned her greeting – albeit less cheerfully than her friend.

Obi-Wan, as usual, was the next to arrive. He also meditated in the morning, but not nearly as early or long as Master Yoda did. He set his tray down next to Bant, visibly nervous.

"Cheer up, Obi," Bant said in an effort to boost his spirits, "You'll do fine!"

"You've been practicing for months," Rhys chimed in, shoveling a spoonful of warm grain-meal into her mouth.

"Master Sony-Da said that my offense wasn't nearly as strong as my defense, and if I'm to keep using Ataru I have to use more offense," Obi-Wan said gloomily, pushing his food around on his plate.

Rhys silently disagreed – Master Sony-Da was a great teacher, probably one of the best in the Temple with a lightsaber, but he was very rigid in his opinions. She had learned the basics of Form I from him, and he insisted that she was best suited for the defensively-based Soresu. Rhys had argued with him for some time about her fighting style when Master Keelyvine broke away from her group of students and came between them.

Master Reus Keelyvine was a noted Jar'Kai practitioner taught by another student of Yoda's, Master Dooku. She often taught a small lightsaber tactics class whenever she was at the Temple, but was adamant in her refusal of taking a padawan learner. She also tended to butt heads with Master Sony-Da, and took nearly every opportunity to prove him wrong.

Master Sony-Da had been furious at Keelyvine's interference, but grudgingly foisted the belligerent student onto his rival. Master Keelyvine spoke to Yoda later in the afternoon, expressing her desire to see Rhys trained in the art of Jar'Kai. Yoda had agreed, and allowed Keelyvine to teach his padawan the dual lightsaber style.

Obi-Wan continued to pick at his food nervously until Garen and Siri arrived, bickering as usual about something. Both were competing in the Tournament, but were in different starting groups than he was. Bant was also taking part in the Tournament, but wasn't stressing about it nearly as much as Obi-Wan was.

"Obi, tell this laserbrain that he's wrong," Siri said, physically shaking Obi-Wan from his thoughts in her attempt to win an argument with Garen.

"Of course I'm not wrong, Siri."

"Yes you are!"

"Nope."

"Garen Muln, I will beat your sorry –"

"Oh stop it, you two, or we're going to be late!" Obi-Wan finally said as he realized the time.

Garen and Siri immediately stopped bickering and quickly finished their food. Rhys walked with the older Initiates to the Training Room where the Tournament would be held, moving off to the side to watch as they prepared themselves.

Rhys watched as some of the other Initiates began to lightly spar, meditate, or talk reassuringly with their friends. Several of the students were beyond nervous, even to the point of tears in one young Initiate. Rhys noticed a human boy with white hair standing by the entrance boasting loudly to his friends about how he would win the Tournament and get the best Master to choose him.

"I'm going to be so great, Master Yoda'll wish he picked _me_ for his padawan!" The boy crowed, swinging an imaginary lightsaber around as if in combat with an invisible foe.

 _He's going to have a very rude awakening_ , Rhys thought to herself as she walked past the boy and his friends to climb up the stands. As she tried to go around the boy he moved and bumped into her, almost knocking her to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, _wermo_!" he yelled at her.

"Cha skrunee do pat, sleemo!" she retorted in Huttese. _I'm glad Master Nu is teaching me more languages_ , Rhys thought as she climbed up the stands away from the rude boy. Her Master had requested that she learn several of the languages commonly spoken on various worlds, as it would allow her to go on a wider range of missions. Currently Jocasta Nu was teaching her how to speak Huttese, Bacce, Mando'a, Galactic Basic, and also to understand Shyriiwook and Binary.

Rhys eventually found Master Yoda seated next to Masters Windu, Plo Koon, and Ki-Adi-Mundi at the top of the stands. Many of the Jedi present in the Temple had come to watch the Tournament and filled a small portion of the stands. The stands in the Training Room were built to accommodate many more Jedi but there was a shortage of Jedi not currently on missions.

"Found us, you have, Padawan," Yoda said, making room for her in a seat he saved between him and Master Koon.

"Master, what are the rules of the Tournament?"

"Divided by age group, this Tournament is," Yoda answered, "Separated into several sets, the age groups are to account for all of the competitors. Similar to training spars, the rules are."

Rhys nodded her understanding – for the first week or so living at the Temple she had struggled to understand her Master's strange way of speaking but now could decipher its meaning quickly. She was familiar with the rules of training spars: participants would fight until they scored a hit on their opponent with their low-powered training saber. Three hits or disarming their opponent would signal the winner of the duel.

"I haven't missed anything, have I?" Rhys turned around to see Qui-Gon sitting directly behind her. She gave him a small wave and returned to watching the Tournament.

The first age group to go was the ten-year-olds. Rhys was amazed to see younglings only two years older than she was skillfully execute advanced katas and moves. Siri had been placed in this age group, but was defeated by a young Twi'lek girl with striking blue skin and lekku for the first place spot. Siri seemed to be satisfied with her placement, and congratulated the Twi'lek girl on her win.

The next group to go was the eleven-year-olds – Garen, Bant, and Obi-Wan were all in different starting groups. Bant was the first of the three friends to lose a match, nearly making it to the final eight. Both Garen and Obi-Wan made it to the final four, with Garen taking the fourth place rank. Obi-Wan, not surprisingly, made it to the final round.

Rhys felt a surge of annoyance flush through her at the appearance of the other participant in the final round; it was the white-haired boy that had pushed her to the ground!

"Check your emotions, you must," Yoda said without taking his eyes off the starting match, "Release your anger into the Force."

Realizing her slip-up, Rhys quickly put up the mental shields that her Master had taught her to use to guard her mind and conceal her inward emotions. By the time that the announcer had spoken the boy's name – Bruck Chun – Rhys had regained complete control.

She watched in silence as the two opponents saluted each other, then began their duel. Bruck, as she had expected, attacked first with a sweeping cut at Obi-Wan's head. Obi-Wan countered it easily with a quick parry and returned with a series of blows that drove Bruck to the edge of the engagement area. Rhys could feel Bruck's anger pulse across the stands at being forced back, driving him to rage after Obi-Wan in a flurry of blows.

It was Bruck who struck the first touch – a massive swipe up the inside of Obi-Wan's right forearm. Obi-Wan, now with a debilitating injury to his sword arm, faltered in his blocks and yielded another hit, this time a small touch to his left thigh. Limping now, he hobbled around, trying to gain a hold on his footwork while Bruck toyed with him.

 _He's enjoying this_ , Rhys thought in alarm as Bruck flitted around Obi-Wan, saying things that only Obi-Wan could hear over the clash of lightsabers. Rhys watched her friend counter Bruck's debilitating blows for several more minutes before sensing something unusual in the Force.

She reached out into the Force swirling around her to find the source of the disturbance and was astounded to see that the ripple originated from Qui-Gon. She recognized his familiar Force-signature reaching out to Obi-Wan's – desperate to help him, but with no way of doing so. Rhys also identified the beginning of a Force bond similar to the one that she and her Master possessed.

 _ **Master, what is Qui-Gon doing?**_ Rhys asked Yoda mentally through their growing Master-Padawan bond.

 _ **Sense it also, I do**_ **,** Yoda conveyed with a sense of approval. _**A powerful bond, it will be.**_

Rhys knew of her Master's great connection to the Unifying Force and his premonitions of the future that this often brought him. She didn't doubt for a second that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's fates were intertwined, even if they didn't know it yet. Qui-Gon, of course, would have a hard time listening to her or her Master – Qui-Gon firmly believed in the Living Force and following the course of the moment rather than visions of the future.

As Obi-Wan continued to struggle against Bruck, Rhys felt the growing Force-bond between him and Qui-Gon make a huge swell, threatening to project to all of the congregated Jedi if it wasn't properly acknowledged for what it was. Yet, it the moment that Obi-Wan yielded a final blow it was abruptly cut off, vanishing from Rhys' perception. She looked around in surprise at its sudden disappearance, but was too late.

At the moment of Obi-Wan's defeat, Qui-Gon had left the Training Room stands, brown cloak flapping behind his retreating figure.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After the Tournament, Rhys found herself walking quickly to the Initiate's entrance to see her friends that had yet to leave the Training Room. Master Yoda had given her the rest of the day to congratulate her friends while he went to Council Meetings. Siri was the first person she found, talking with the blue Twi'lek that beat her for first place in their age group. The blonde girl waved Rhys over as soon as she saw her enter.

"Rhys, this Aayla Secura," Siri said, introducing the Twi'lek, "She's one of the best in my age group with a lightsaber."

Aayla gave a small smile and patted Siri on the back, "You didn't do too badly yourself."

"Thanks," Siri grinned in reply.

"I was watching from the stands with my Master. Can you show me how you did that one-handed parry when you flipped over Siri?" Rhys asked, curiosity spiking.

The two older girls immediately went about recreating their duel for Rhys's benefit, explaining strategy and tactics as they went. Bant found her way over to them, giving advice and instructions on how to use specific maneuvers. Rhys surprised them by soaking up every bit of knowledge, asking plenty of questions and requesting aid on her form.

"Maybe next time you'll be good enough to even be _considered_ for a padawan, Oafy-Wan!"

The four girls all turned in the direction of Bruck's sneering voice. He and his cronies had followed Obi-Wan off of the training floor, throwing insults and jeers at the boy's back. Rhys could see that Obi-Wan wasn't letting his outward emotions show, instead internalizing them and taking them into his core.

"Don't listen to him, Obi," Siri said as Bruck backed off under the heat of her glare. Obi-Wan stopped in front of the group, fixed them with a sad gaze, and then continued on and out of the Training Room. Bant made a move as if to go after him, but was stopped by Siri's arm.

"Don't," the blonde girl said, "He'll think through it himself."

Rhys disagreed – she had felt the depths of Obi-Wan's despair as he passed, and knew that his empathetic nature would take all of those words to heart. She could feel his swirl of emotions echoing through the Force, sending a ripple of turmoil through the river of energy. Rhys eventually determined that Obi-Wan had finally calmed down enough to put his shields up, somewhat concealing his emotions from the rest of the Temple.

As the rest of the Initiates trickled out of the Training Room, Rhys made the decision to go after Obi-Wan. Master Yoda had taught her a little bit about tracking a being through the Force, but she had never actively tried to track someone before. However, Obi-Wan's trail was still rather fresh and provided a bright roadmap indicating where his presence had passed through the Force. _He has to be around here somewhere,_ Rhys thought after following his Force-signature for several minutes, _He wouldn't have left the Temple, and-_

She was jolted from her thoughts by a sturdy cloth-covered wall in front of her, knocking her to the ground with the force of impact. Surprisingly, the object turned out to be a stern Mace Windu, looking at the padawan on the ground in disapproval.

"Sorry, Master Windu!" Rhys cried out as she righted herself, "I wasn't looking where I was going, and-"

Windu stopped her with a wave of his hand. "In the future, use your senses to make yourself aware to the world around you."

"I will," Rhys promised, running off before she could lose Obi-Wan's trail, "Thanks!"

Mace shook his head as he watched the young padawan swerve around several other Jedi's and disappear around a corner.

* * *

Rhys eventually found the end of Obi-Wan's trail, leading her to the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It was a popular meditation spot for many Jedi, Obi-Wan included. She continued to find lingering threads of Obi-Wan's Force-signature that led her to a secluded clearing on the opposite side of the room's lake.

The boy was kneeling with a serene expression on his face when Rhys arrived, not noticing her presence. Rhys, not wanting to disturb his meditation, sat near him and began to meditate as well. Opening herself slightly to the rush of the Force, Rhys allowed her senses to reach out and touch the area around her.

Her meditations had become much easier – as Master Yoda had said – with practice, and no longer resulted in the electrifying tingle she had previously felt. Rhys still had to be careful – if she completely opened herself to the Force all at once her body would become overloaded and would feel the effects for several days afterward. Her first attempt at full meditation had landed her in the Healer's Wing for most of the next day.

Obi-Wan seemed to notice her meditating beside him and pulled back to the room quickly. Startled by the sudden lack of his meditative presence in the Force around her jerked Rhys back to reality.

"Ummm…. Rhys?" Obi-Wan hedged. Rhys opened her eyes in alarm.

"What?" Obi-Wan was pointing into the air around her. Several small rocks were now hovering lazily about her head in slow circles. Rhys quickly closed her connection to the Force and set them down gently.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, "It happens when I meditate and I haven't quite gotten the hang of controlling it yet."

Obi-Wan shook his head with a small smile, "You don't need to apologize." They fell into companionable silence in the stillness of the water and life around them.

"Are you okay?" Rhys asked, finally breaking the quiet spell. Obi-Wan sighed, softly, and closed his eyes in thought.

"I let Bruck get to me far more than usual. We've been rivals for quite some time now, but he's never gone after me with so much force before. Ever since we were younglings he's always tried to prove that he's better than me for some reason that I can't comprehend."

"Well, maybe it's just his sparkling personality," Rhys said matter-of-factly, "I mean, he does seem the type to be jealous – I just don't see why he's jealous of you."

Obi-Wan looked at her incredulously for a moment, then started laughing. Rhys joined him and accepted the hand he offered when he stood up.

"Thanks," He said, brushing off his robes before meeting her eyes, "Usually everyone thinks to leave me alone. It was nice to have someone there for a change."

Rhys shrugged nonchalantly, "We should probably get back before Siri and Bant come looking for us." Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, and the two friends left the Room of a Thousand Fountains side by side.

* * *

"'Bout time you showed up!"

Rhys rolled her eyes at Garen's shout from their usual table. Master Yoda had kept his padawan longer than usual, stressing the importance of being prepared for their upcoming training retreat. This week marked Rhys's sixth month at the Temple, and her Master had requested that he take his padawan for some much needed private training to make up for time. Apparently the ancient master did this for all of his padawans – Rhys had spoken to Master Dooku and he had said that Yoda had taken him on a training trip for nearly a year to hone his Force skills. To say the least, Rhys was not optimistic about the length of the trip, but was willing to obey her Master.

"My Master said I should get a good meal before we left. I'm now under the impression that the flight will be a very long one," Rhys said as she sat next to Bant.

Reeft had left on another mission with his Master, but his absence was filled with the blue-skinned Twi'lek Aayla Secura that had become very good friends with Siri and Rhys. Aayla had taken to tutoring Rhys in basic lightsaber skills when the young girl wasn't working tirelessly with Master Keelyvine. She had some of the basic Jar'Kai katas down, but was hopeless when it came to combining those katas into a fluid defense and offense. Rhys had greatly improved with Aayla's patient teaching, and could now hold her own against many of her age group.

"Did you ask him where you're going?" Bant asked curiously. Rhys's imminent departure had been the subject of conversation for the past few days everyone anxious to know where their friend was going to be for the next year.

"Yes," Rhys said a bit sullenly, "But every time I ask he just says that "Patience, the mark of a Jedi is. Do well to practice it, I think." It's maddening!"

Obi-Wan stifled a chuckle. Rhys wasn't exactly known for her ability to have patience in situations like this. Her naturally curious nature led her to discover any source of information that she could in the least amount of time. Yoda – a master of patience – would surely teach it to her.

The rest of the meal passed with small talk about classes between the six friends. The next Tournament wasn't for another few months, but every Initiate in the Temple was already furiously preparing for it in advance. Rhys's friends were no exception – Garen, Bant, and Obi-Wan had created a strict schedule of training to improve for the next Tournament. Siri and Aayla were less worried about the Tournament and had taken to sparring with each other in the evenings for extra practice. They were all walking to the Training Room when they were found by Master Yoda.

"Prepare to leave, we must, Padawan," he said, then pointing an accusatory finger at Rhys, "Packed, you are not."

Rhys sighed heavily, "Yes, Master." She said goodbye to her group of friends, then followed her Master back up to their rooms.

"Excited, you are not," Yoda said bluntly as soon as they had entered their rooms. Rhys ducked her head in shame and murmured a dejected, "Yes, Master."

Yoda grunted in approval as he sat on a small chair, "Honest, you are. Good. Excited you should not be."

Rhys looked up in surprise. "Why not, Master?"

Yoda gave a small 'Hmph' and placed his hands on his gimer stick. "Excited, you should not be, Padawan. Seek excitement and adventure, a Jedi does not. Hard, this training is. A challenge, it will be."

"I'm not afraid of a challenge, Master!" Rhys said indignantly, "I'm not afraid of doing something hard!" Yoda fixed her with a stare.

"Oh, you will be."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Rhys breathed heavily as she pulled herself up the branch. Three weeks had passed since she and her Master had landed on Dagobah, and almost immediately Yoda had put his padawan to work building them a shelter and training in the surrounding jungle.

"Climb to the top, he said. Shouldn't be too hard, he said," Rhys groused breathlessly as she pulled herself unto another ropey branch.

Her task for the day was to procure several branches from the top of the largest tree in the immediate area – Master Yoda said that they were the best for keeping the ever-present moisture in the atmosphere out of their dwelling. She had already built the frame and thick muddy walls and now needed a good insulator for the roof. When Rhys reached the top of the tree she hastily cut off a few fuzzy branches and scrambled back down to where her Master was meditating.

As soon as her boots hit the ground Yoda's eyes snapped open. Rhys showed him her clutch of branches and he nodded approval at her prize.

"Again," he croaked, "More branches you will need to cover the roof, hrmm?"

Rhys looked as if she wanted to protest, but listened to her Master and clambered up another tree. It took her several more hours and countless trips up more trees before Yoda was satisfied with the amount of branches for insulation.

After a meager lunch of foraged food – which was rather tasteless and tough but better than space rations in Rhys's opinion – Yoda set his padawan to shoring up the outside mud walls of their dwelling to prepare for the upcoming nightly rains. It was hard, dirty work that left Rhys sopping wet when she finished, but gave her some small amount of satisfaction that she completed the task her Master gave her.

As she wiped her brow with a muddy hand Rhys thought about the months to come. _It's going to be a long year…_

* * *

"Up, Padawan!"

Rhys resisted the urge to roll over and say something rude, but thought better of it and rubbed the sleep from her bleary eyes. She had stayed up late the previous night tuning up their ship's main control panel after the morning mist had seeped in and damaged it. She strapped on her chrono (a gift from Master Yoda on her ninth birthday a few months after arriving at the Temple), hopped from her bunk, and got dressed in her tank top, pants, and boots.

The days had fallen into an easy routine after ten months on Dagobah: Rhys would wake up, meditate for an hour, make breakfast for her and her Master, then go for a run with her Master strapped to her shoulders. They would usually return around midday, eat lunch, and then have a lightsaber lesson until the evening meal. The time after the evening meal was usually reserved for Rhys's private meditation, writing in her journal, and making any repairs to the house, equipment, or ship that needed to be done. Her Master usually used this time to contact the Council and have meetings over a holo.

"Something different, today, I think," Master Yoda said abruptly as the pair began their morning meditation. Rhys looked at him quizzically. They hadn't changed their routine in months – why now?

"Come, Padawan," the old master said, hobbling out of the clearing where they had made their home. Rhys quickly followed her Master as he wove in between tree roots and branches easily. After an hour of walking through the dense foliage, Rhys called out to her Master.

"How much farther, Master?" she asked tiredly.

"Patience, Padawan," he chided, "Do you good, it will."

Rhys fought a surge of annoyance at her Master's words. When they had first arrived on Dagobah, he had said those exact words about ten times every day and had made her perform a kata every time he had to say it. Thankfully, Rhys no longer had to perform a kata every time he reminded her, but she still remembered the pain of holding a kata position for an hour. Rhys decided that she would much rather wait a little longer than endure pain and discomfort. She staved off her impatience by reciting the Jedi Code mentally:

 _There is no emotion, there is peace._

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._

 _There is no death, there is the Force._

The sun was high in the sky by the time that Yoda decided to stop. Rhys didn't say anything, but let her feelings of unease seep through their Force-bond. Her feeling of danger had been growing steadily for the past fifteen minutes, and had peaked when they had reached a large, cavernous opening in the ground.

"What is this place?" she asked, subdued by her feelings of darkness, fear, and most of all the raging anger and hate that the cavern radiated. Yoda bowed his head in silent grief.

"A scar, this place is. Wounded, the planet was, by the hate of the Sith. Centuries ago, fell, a young Jedi did to the flattery of the Dark Side. Killed, he was, but here remains his legacy of hate." Yoda turned to his apprentice and said bluntly, "In you must go."

"What's in there?" Rhys asked, edging closer to the open maw of the cave.

"Only what you take with you," was Yoda's reply. Rhys took a deep breath and stepped into the waiting jaws of the cavern.

The temperature was far colder than the misty world outside the cave, causing Rhys to shiver in the damp and chill. The cave was pitch black as far as she could see, with strange sounds echoing in the depths.

All of a sudden, Rhys saw a small point of light in the darkness. Having nowhere else to go, she ran to the source of the light, her dual training sabers in hand. A bright flash of light illuminated the cave, blinding the young girl and causing her to close her eyes against the white light. When she opened them, she saw that she was no longer on Dagobah.

 _She was running through a beautiful building, battle droids hot on her heels. She turned around to face them with a smile on her face-_

 _"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Rhys turned around to find the voice she could have recognized anywhere, but there was nothing but the darkness behind her. She could hear Obi-Wan screaming in grief and pain, could feel his anger coursing through the Force directed at some shadow. More voices came surging at her as the scenes changed.

 _"Since Tatooine…"_

 _Obi-Wan with a long padawan braid fighting battle droids-_

 _"And where do you think he heard about 'Aggressive Negotiations'?"_

 _A hooded Sith Lord wielding two lightsabers with dual ends cutting down Jedi as if they were nothing, laughing in a cold high voice as she struck down a padawan and master-_

 _The same Sith woman kneeling before another Sith Lord, pledging to serve him and annihilate the Jedi, proclaiming, "I AM DARTH LAMIA!"_

 _"I have a bad feeling about this…"_

 _"Padmé!"_

 _"I can't leave her!... She would do her duty…"_

 _Two men furiously battling against a red lightsaber that was skilled beyond them both-_

" _Mommy, it was the Dark Man again…"_

 _A woman and a little boy fleeing on a small speeder while laser bolts rained around them-_

 _"Punch it, Chewie!"_

 _"Use the Force, Luke…"_

 _A little boy proudly showing a man and a woman how he was levitating a small stone above his hand, the man ruffling the boy's auburn hair good-naturedly-_

 _"Your friend's quite the mercenary…"_

 _"When you've lived as long as I have, you start to see the same eyes in different people. I'm looking at the eyes of a man who wants to run…"_

 _"Rey, these are your first steps…"_

 _The same two men now fighting against each other amidst rivers of fire and ash-_

 _"You turned her against me!"_

"Enticing, isn't it?"

Rhys turned around as she heard the final voice behind her, revealing the Sith woman emerging from the shadows. Her four blades hummed menacingly, casting deep red shadows over the contours of the cave and blocking out all light. Her front two blades were as long as a regular lightsaber, but the back two were only a quarter size – probably vents for the cracked crystals. The woman stepped closer to Rhys and pulled off her hood and revealing her face.

The face may have been aged by years, but the features were much of the same. Fuller lips, thickly braided hair, and yellow eyes couldn't hide the resemblance to Rhys's own visage. Rhys took a step back at the sight, while the older version of her merely sneered in contempt.

"You'll have everything you've ever wanted – power, respect, the passion of a man. You'll save his life, and millions more, if you just say yes…. Embrace the _power_ of the Dark Side!"

"No…" Rhys panted, shocked by the words, "I won't end like this!" Her reflection sneered at her words and levelled a saber end at her throat.

 _"Darth Lamia is your destiny!"_

Rhys felt something burn through her midsection, then all went black.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Rhys awoke on her bunk with sore limbs and a pounding headache. She remembered going into the cave, the visions of war, and of-

 _No!_ She thought, sitting up quickly to expel the memory, _I will NEVER become_ _that!_

A small noise drew her attention to the entrance of her room where her Master was standing in the low doorway. He looked at her with sadness in his eyes, nodding his head in understanding.

"Visions, you saw, hrmm?" Rhys hesitated, but nodded. Yoda gave a sigh, then turned around to leave the room.

"They won't come true, will they?" she asked softly, fear seeping into her voice. Yoda turned around to look at his padawan and shook his head.

"Fear is the path to the Dark Side," he chided gently, "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate…. Leads only to suffering, Padawan. If no fear, you have, then in the Light you will stay."

"Thank you, Master." Yoda smiled kindly and left the room.

"Come, Padawan," he called back to her, "Much to do, have we."

Rhys smiled, and stood up to join her Master in his meditation.

* * *

In the weeks following Rhys's experience in the cave, Yoda had done his best to keep her mind off of what she had seen. When she asked why he was trying to kill her with work, the ancient Jedi had merely answered, "Dead, you are not. Work more, we shall," accenting his words with several jabs of his gimer stick into his padawan's side.

As her tenth birthday came and went, Rhys realized that her time on Dagobah had made her much stronger and smarter than she would have ever been if she had stayed in the Temple for a year. Instead, she had endurance and strength to rival her Master's, which was no easy feat. Her lightsaber skills had improved greatly over the course of time, but she still knew that Master Keelyvine would still desire more from her upon their return.

They would be leaving Dagobah in a few weeks, and Master Yoda intended to make the last of the training retreat count. He had woken Rhys up significantly earlier than usual for their morning meditation, and insisted that she be prepared for just about anything that he could throw at her. This meant being able to deflect objects thrown at her with the Force as well as a lightsaber, more advanced tracking, and using the Force to heal any number of the small injuries she often sustained.

"Late, you are, Padawan!" Yoda scolded her as she came down from the ship's refresher. Rhys had taken to showering in the early mornings before their meditations and had been distracted by a particularly large tangle in her hair. Rhys had also started braiding small beads she had carved from the leftover tree branches needed for their dwelling.

"Late I am not!" she replied indignantly, "I arrived precisely when I meant to."

Yoda just gave an annoyed 'hmph' and set her to complete a series of katas. Rhys did so, smiling at her Master's actions. As much as he liked to pretend that she inconvenienced him, he did enjoy her presence at his meditations.

* * *

As Rhys looked down from the ship's ramp at the place that had been her home for a year she felt a pang of sadness sweep through her. As much as she didn't like the mud and constant rain of the planet, Dagobah had greatly influenced her. The Force here was at its strongest, flowing through the billions of life forms that occupied the planet and created a pure, calm feeling.

"Pure, the Force is here," Yoda said, closing his eyes peacefully, "Miss it, I will."

Rhys smiled at the opportunity to reprimand her Master teasingly, "Now, Master, attachments a Jedi has not!" Astonishment flickered across the older Jedi's face, followed by serenity once again.

"Forgotten, I had, the burdens of a padawan," he said, amusement twinkling in his eyes. Rhys gave a small smile and raised the ramp. Once they had gotten inside the pilot's cabin, Yoda motioned with a small hand to the pilot's chair.

"To Coruscant, fly us."

Rhys stared in amazement at her Master. He had never let her pilot the ship before - when they had come to Dagobah, Yoda had flown the small craft and explained how all of the controls worked. She also had learned how to fix many components of the ship under his direction, eventually being able to keep the ship in working order by herself.

With a cheerful, "Yes, Master!" Rhys all but jumped into the captain's chair. Yoda merely shook his head and resigned himself for the long flight.

Much like her arrival at the Temple, Master Yoda's ship was met by members of the Jedi High Council. Looking out onto the landing pad, Rhys could see the distinctive shapes of Mace Windu and Ki-Adi Mundi, but no Plo Koon this time.

With Yoda assisting her at the controls, Rhys made a smooth landing that would have been on par with any other ace pilot. After powering off the ship she joined her Master on the ramp down to the landing pad below. As soon as she got a breath of the Coruscanti air, Rhys recoiled in disgust.

"Used to fresher air, you are, Padawan," Yoda said, making his way down the ramp, "Disappear over time, it will." Rhys gave a heavy sigh and followed after her Master. After a brief welcome, Mace told Master Yoda of an upcoming Council meeting that he was being required to attend. Yoda dismissed his padawan, saying, "See me at evening meal, you will. Have the rest of the day to yourself, you do." Rhys had bowed excitedly (to the great amusement of Masters Windu and Mundi) then rushed off to find her friends.

She found them where they usually were around midday, clustered around a side table in the cafeteria. Garen was the first to see her, but with a motion for him to be quiet he concentrated on his food. All of them including Reeft and Aayla were present, but Rhys settled for surprising Obi-Wan the most. With absolutely no warning she jumped on her friend's exposed back.

Obi-Wan's shriek of alarm was nothing compared to his cry of surprise once he realized who was on his back. Everyone laughed loudly, then enveloped Rhys in a big group hug.

"It's about time you got back here, Spits!" Garen hollered as Rhys pulled away from the hugs, rolling her eyes at the nickname he had given her.

"It's about time you grew up, Garen!" she retorted, earning a smirk from Siri. Garen, unfazed by her words after a lifetime of arguing with Siri, gave a lopsided grin and chuckled good-naturedly.

"That was good," Garen allowed.

"You've definitely changed," Siri said, motioning towards Rhys's braided hair and slightly taller body. Rhys shrugged in reply. She was now nearly the height of both Siri and Bant, and was quickly catching up to Obi-Wan and Aayla.

"Noticed a difference, I have not," Rhys said, accepting a bowl of food from Reeft's extras. Everyone around the table looked at her with utter shock written on their faces.

"Um…. Rhys," Obi-Wan said hesitantly, "You're starting to talk like Master Yoda." Rhys flushed red with embarrassment.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I guess that after having no one else to talk to after a year it's started to rub off on me."

The topic then turned to the training Rhys had done over the course of the year. No one else had even heard about the swampy planet, and when Rhys described the strange trees, mist, and animals that inhabited the planet many of her friends cringed. She told them about her schedule, making the dwelling the she and her Master had shared, and the types of training Yoda had made her do. When the conversation turned to lightsaber practice the older Initiates' faces fell.

Obi-Wan's final Tournament was within the week – if he didn't have a master by the time he turned thirteen in two weeks he would be sent to the AgriCorps. Bruck Chun had made this fact painfully obvious to Obi-Wan, despite that his own birthday wasn't long after Obi-Wan's. Garen and Bant both had some time and another Tournament to display their skills, but shared Obi-Wan's worry of being sent to the AgriCorps.

"Still moping about the Tournament, Oafy-Wan?" Rhys turned sharply to see the white-haired boy sneering at them from by the door.

"Maybe everyone will finally see that you're only fit for the AgriCorps," he mocked cruelly, stalking out of the cafeteria. Obi-Wan's face set in determination as he stood up.

"He's all talk, Obi," Bant said in an attempt to breach the gap, "You'll beat him!"

Obi-Wan nodded resolutely, said his goodbyes, then left in the direction of the Training Room. Bant sighed heavily as she realized that her efforts were wasted. The group of friends drifted apart after that – Bant to the Room of a Thousand Fountains a swim, Aayla and Siri to lessons, Reeft to training with his Master, and Garen and Rhys following Obi-Wan to the Training Room.

They found him sparring furiously against a simulation, completely blocking out the world around him. Garen and Rhys watched him spar until he deftly disarmed the simulation droid. Obi-Wan looked around in frustration at his victory, leaving the disarmed simulation in a pile with several other simulations. Knowing what needed to be done, Rhys stepped forward before Obi-Wan could take his frustration out on another droid and possibly break it.

"You need a better outlet," she said, pulling him over to one of the empty sparring rings by a wrist. Garen looked on in amusement as Rhys ignited her dual purple training sabers. "Ready." Obi-Wan sighed mutinously, but ignited his own saber and took a ready stance.

Surprisingly, Obi-Wan attacked first with a powerful down stroke that would have shattered Rhys' defense if not for the support of her secondary lightsaber. The young padawan countered with a series of quick jabs that cut through Obi-Wan's of defense and nearly made it through.

Obi-Wan disengaged with a look of surprise on his face – he had not expected her to be quite as skilled as she was now. The look on her face was clear: _Neither of us are going to hold back._ He was even more surprised to see her give a Bruck-like smirk in clear mocking of him.

Anger flooded over Obi-Wan at her actions, compelling him to ruthlessly beat against her twin sabers. The two fought furiously for several minutes, unaware that they were acquiring a large group of spectators around their sparring ring. Purple clashed against bright green, sending bursts of light scattering over the ring.

Rhys knew that what Obi-Wan lacked was focus in his fighting, allowing the smallest words from his opponent to pierce through his defenses. She remembered one of Yoda's favorite exercises to give her: Sparring with her while providing distraction enough to try and shake her focus from a task. If Obi-Wan was visibly shaken by her smirk, what would happen if she started mocking him outright, much like Bruck did?

"You'll have to do better than that," she said, locking her blades with Obi-Wan's, "You'll never stand a chance against Bruck!" Obi-Wan growled irritably at her words and forced her out of the lock.

Rhys smiled inwardly as she retreated from engagement. That was _exactly_ the response she was looking for. If he allowed his emotions to get the better of him, Obi-Wan would become reckless and blind. She knew that it wasn't necessarily her that he was taking his anger out at, but he needed to get it out regardless of the target. She would not allow her friend to fail himself at the Tournament because of something he couldn't control.

She came back at him with a ferocious combination that left Obi-Wan on unsteady footing, a mistake that she would take advantage of. With little warning, Rhys dropped to one foot, sweeping her leg out and catching Obi-Wan's exposed knees. He dropped like a bag of sand onto the padded mats below. When he finally figured out what had happened a purple blade was pointed at his throat.

"Do you yield?" Rhys asked calmly as if it was only coincidence that he was laying on the ground. Realizing that he'd lost, Obi-Wan nodded and took the hand Rhys offered to pull him up. As soon as he was steady on his feet Rhys placed a hand on his arm.

"You need to work on your focus," she said frankly, "You cannot allow yourself or an opponent to get inside your head, understand?" Obi-Wan nodded, eyes downcast in shame at what he had done.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't want to take my anger out on you."

Rhys shrugged, "I may not have been the target, but it needed to be released. Feel better?"

"Loads."

"Good," Rhys smiled, extending a hand of peace, "Same time tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 **Hello people, SpeechBubbleMe here! Thank you for the reviews, particularly from** **Xana The Evil Virus Of Lyoko** **. There are a couple of important items on the docket today that have been brought to my attention and here they are!**

 **\- To all of those viewers out there….. Please review! I cannot express to the high heavens how helpful and encouraging reviews are! Also, if you have any story ideas or storyline preferences for this particular story, please PM me! I would love to answer any questions or talk…. It's kind of what I do best!**

 **\- I am currently looking for an experienced beta-tester that specializes in grammar, characterization, and has a very thorough knowledge of the Star Wars universe. Please PM me if you would like to be my beta or if you know someone who would be willing.**

 **\- Posting Schedule – As of yet, I don't have a regular posting schedule. Because I do have college and work my schedule is a little erratic (I feel like I'm saying "schedule" too much…. Schedule, schedule, schedule, schedule…). Currently, I plan on posting one or two chapters a week.**

 **\- It has been brought to my attention that I am slacking in the disclaimer department, so here it is – DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I do not own the Star Wars franchise. Shocking, I know. If I did, I would be a very happy potato.**

 **Without further ado….. A WILD CHAPTER APPEARS!**

* * *

The week preceding the Tournament saw Obi-Wan sparring nearly every moment of free time with Rhys, Garen, and occasionally Aayla and Siri. His focus was improving now that he was aware of the problem, no longer allowing petty insults to shake him. Finally, the day before the Tournament arrived and found Obi-Wan and Rhys sparring right after their morning meal.

"Ready," Rhys said, igniting her lightsabers. Their sparring matches had quickly become an item of interest in the Temple, gathering a crowd whenever they fought. Many of the spectators were younglings or Initiates that frequented the Training Room, but all walks of Jedi had been seen observing them, including several Council members.

"Ready," Obi-Wan replied, settling into a grounded stance.

Unusually, Rhys was the first to attack, whipping her blades around in an attempt to distract Obi-Wan. Unfazed, he countered her glancing blows and immediately went on the defensive. Rhys smirked at the expected move and countered it with a rain of blows from varying angles.

Obi-Wan's favored style was Ataru, an aggressive style that utilized skilled Force-assisted acrobatics. The fourth Form was particularly effective against a single opponent, but could be modified easily to suit the wielder's needs. However, the high acrobatics took their toll, forcing Obi-Wan to stick to shorter engagements.

The battle lasted several minutes longer with both sides soon showing signs of fatigue. Obi-Wan, eager to end it, swiped at Rhys's legs in an attempt to throw her off balance. She successfully parried the blows and came after him with both of her sabers from two directions. He managed to lock her blades, twisting slightly to wrench her left hand from its saber. Rhys disengaged, calmly switching to Form V, Djem So, and taking a reverse grip on her lightsaber hilt. Obi-Wan was taken aback by the unorthodox maneuver and was forced back by her long, sweeping blows.

As soon as she was within range, Rhys called her other lightsaber back into her hand and switched back to her signature Jar'Kai. They were sparring with the traditional Tournament rules – first to inflict three burns on their opponent or to fully disarm them was the victor. A participant could also yield with a cry of "Solah", ending the match.

"Are you ready to yield yet, Obi?" Rhys teased as they locked blades.

"Never!" Obi-Wan vowed fervently, pushing her off and scoring a shot through her defenses that resulted in a small shoulder burn. Their lightsabers were on a low enough setting to prevent any serious damage, but the burns inflicted hurt enough to provide an ample distraction while fighting.

Rhys scored the next two points in quick succession, landing two touches on both of his wrists in the traditional _cho mai_ contact with a blindingly fast combination. If her lightsaber had been up to full power Obi-Wan would have lost both of his hands. However, when she withdrew from the engagement she missed her footing. Obi-Wan took advantage of her misstep and scored his second hit – a narrow burn just below her hip.

Limping slightly, Rhys switched styles again, this time going for the mainly defensive form of Soresu. It wasn't her strong suit, but allowed her to conserve energy that she sorely needed to shield herself from Obi-Wan's stronger blows. His main advantage against her was his natural strength paired with his use of two hands while wielding his blade.

Obi-Wan attacked harder than ever before, trying to find a way through her two-bladed defense. To the average observer their fight looked like a very carefully coordinated dance that both participants knew by heart, which in a sense they did. Both Rhys and Obi-Wan had trained extensively to make reflex decisions by using the Force to see what their opponent was doing.

Tiring quickly and eager to end the duel, Rhys made her final move and maneuvered into a blade-lock. "You've gotten better," she admitted as they met over the lightsabers.

"I would think that the past few days of getting beaten into the mats would have taught me at least something new," Obi-Wan quipped drily.

"Don't get cocky," Rhys warned, and with no warning deactivated her left lightsaber and reignited it once within Obi-Wan's defenses. The unexpected trick threw him off guard and allowed Rhys to disarm him and knock him onto the mat with a well-placed kick.

"You know, I'm starting to get tired of our sparring matches ending like this," he remarked, staring at the length of purple lightsaber angled at his throat.

"Do you yield?" Rhys asked lightly.

"As always."

"Good," Rhys extended a hand and helped him up. "You must always expect the unexpected from your opponent. Your control has improved a lot over the week, as has your footwork. I think you're ready."

Obi-Wan looked at her uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she answered confidently, then whispered, "Go win that Tournament!" Obi-Wan smiled thankfully at her. Rhys opened her mouth to say something else, but was stopped by a familiar presence in the Force nearby. She turned around to see Qui-Gon standing with a female Noorian Jedi on the outskirts of the mats and watching their match.

"Master Qui-Gon!" Rhys exclaimed excitedly. She hadn't seen her friend since she'd left for Dagobah with Master Yoda. She hurriedly rushed out of the confines of the sparring ring to greet him with Obi-Wan trailing behind.

"Hello Rhys," Qui-Gon greeted warmly, suppressing a chuckle at her antics, "Enjoying yourself?"

Rhys nodded with a glance back at Obi-Wan who had been waylaid by Aayla. The blue-skinned Twi'lek was constantly trying to convince him that he needed to train in Soresu – she firmly believed that his fighting style and defensive mindset would pair well with the third Form of combat.

"Are you coming to the Tournament tomorrow?"

Qui-Gon looked over at the female Jedi beside him. She nodded encouragingly back. "Yes," he answered hesitantly, than more assured, "Master Tahl and I will be watching the Tournament."

"Are you looking for a padawan?" Rhys asked innocently. Qui-Gon sighed heavily, looking frustrated until Master Tahl nudged him. He looked over at her begrudgingly as she smiled.

"Perhaps," he allowed.

There was an awkward silence as the Noorian beside Qui-Gon attempted to get him to further elaborate. Their mental conversation, though unheard, was clearly felt by Rhys. As she felt along further in the Force, she discovered a suppressed Force-bond. It wasn't large enough to be completely accepted by Qui-Gon, but it was far too large to ignore. She was surprised to find that Obi-Wan was on the other end of the Force-bond. He was probably aware of some small connection, but was ignoring it as well.

Tahl seemed to notice Rhys probing along the lines of the Force-bond and sent a wave of encouragement in her direction. Rhys glanced at Tahl, still involved in a great mental debate with Qui-Gon. She smiled, as if to say, "He does this all the time", then went back to persuading Qui-Gon. After a fraction of time Rhys felt the tension in their conversation rise, peak, then shatter abruptly. Qui-Gon risked a furtive look across the room at Obi-Wan, bowed stiffly at Rhys and Tahl, then stalked angrily out of the Training Room. Rhys stared in bewilderment at his hastily retreating figure.

"What was that?" she asked, more to herself than anyone else.

Tahl sighed in frustration, "Old wounds that I thought would have healed by now."

"He's not the most open person, is he?" Rhys remarked. Tahl answered with a pealing laugh as she put a hand on the padawan's shoulder.

"No, he's not. I had hoped to mellow him out more over the years, but it may take several more before he's truly open with anyone." Tahl sighed, then shook her head. "I'm afraid Qui-Gon didn't introduce us properly – he's never really one for anything proper, really. I'm Master Tahl, one of Qui-Gon's best friends. We were in the same Initiate Clan."

"Rhys Talik. Master Qui-Gon found me on Naboo."

"Yes, he told me about that," Tahl answered with a twinkle in her eyes, "He was quite taken with you."

Rhys was about to answer when something bumped into her from behind. Out of reflex she caught the person's legs in a sweep that brought them crashing to the floor. It was only when she looked down at the person on the floor did she realize who it was.

"Kriff it, Rhys, that hurt!" Obi-Wan said, rubbing the back of his head where it hit the floor.

"Sorry, Obi," she said as she helped him up, "Call it reflex after a year of training on a jungle world." Master Tahl looked on with mirth dancing on her face. "Why did you back into me anyway?"

Obi-Wan rubbed his sore spots, regret obvious on his face, "I was trying to sneak away from Aayla – you know how she gets on one of her rants – and I think I might have, too, if you hadn't taken me out."

"Ah…. Sorry…"

"No, it's fine, Rhys. Just….. Don't do it on me again, okay? That kriffing hurt!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 **Thank you so much, those of you that choose to follow and review the story! Sorry for the long wait in between chapters… first weeks of college plus a new job doesn't equal a whole lot of writing time. Many, many thanks to CardiacCane for your helpful reviews! Not much of a docket today I'm afraid, so straight to the disclaimer:**

 **I don't own Star Wars, unfortunately. I really, really, really, wish I could, but perhaps in another life if I get a truckload of karma. Also…. Thanks and many kudos to AldabaranFox for allowing me to use her character Sony-Da! Her Obi-centric fics are amazing and you should really check them out!**

* * *

"Relax, Obi."

Bant was attempting to soothe Obi-Wan during breakfast before the Tournament, but was having little success. The Mon Calamari girl was showing signs of annoyance when Obi-Wan picked at his food, too nervous to really eat. He tried to give Reeft his full plate of food, but the Dressellian wouldn't have it and insisted that Obi-Wan eat to maintain his strength. He did, albeit grudgingly, then walked with the rest of the group to the Training Room.

"Are you ready to get your butt kicked across the mats, Oafy-Wan?" Bruck sneered as soon as he caught sight of them, "If that little girl can beat you to the ground I guess it won't be too much of a challenge!"

Rhys started towards Bruck in anger, but was surprised to be stopped by Obi-Wan's hand barring her from moving any closer. Obi-Wan didn't say anything and kept walking forward, one hand on Rhys' shoulder in solidarity. Bruck laughed cruelly at his back.

"You have to get a little girl to fight your battles for you now, Oafy-Wan? Leave the Temple already and spare everyone the embarrassment of looking at you!"

Obi-Wan could feel Rhys' shoulder begin to rise at the insults and could sense her rising anger through the Force. Garen and Siri mimicked her with fists and jaws clenched. Once Bruck was out of earshot, Obi-Wan turned to his friends.

"You can't let him get to you," he said calmly.

"You're right," Rhys muttered, "We can't lose focus now."

"It doesn't make it any easier to deal with him," Siri grouched, "We still have to listen to the kriffing-"

"Siri…" Obi-Wan warned. Siri huffed a sigh, having the decency to look a little repentant. Garen, however, was still fuming over the insults. Obi-Wan clapped him on the shoulder, "Come on, we've got to prepare for the Tournament."

As the rest of the Initiates got to their places for the start of the Tournament, Reeft and Rhys made their way into the stands to sit by their Masters. Master Binn Ibes was sitting a few rows below Master Yoda, so Rhys made the final steps to her Master alone. Qui-Gon and Tahl were sitting a few rows above Yoda, Windu, and Ki-Adi Mundi. Rhys took a seat next to her Master and watched the opening announcements of the Tournament.

The Tournament began, as always, with the younger groups. The matches flew by in a quick blur until Rhys noticed that it was time for Aayla and Siri's match. The two girls were pitted against each other once again – this time with Siri being the first to score three points.

Bant, predictably, made it to the quarterfinals but lost to a large Wookiee. Garen, ironically, fought the same Wookiee in the next round, dancing around the large Initiate and scoring three points with ease. To her great annoyance, Rhys saw that Bruck Chun was one of the semi-finalists. With Garen winning the match for third place, the entire arena held its breath in anticipation of the final match.

Rhys suppressed her distaste as Bruck swaggered into the ring. Although she was too far to see the expression on Obi-Wan's face, Rhys could see that he was holding on to his control. The acting referee and Temple Battle Master Cin Drallig conducted the formalities – each boy never breaking eye contact with the other as they bowed.

The match started as Bruck ignited his yellow-bladed lightsaber and attacked with a crushing overhead blow. Obi-Wan merely sidestepped, his lightsaber still unlit and in his hand. The next few passes comprised of Obi-Wan dancing around Bruck like an insect around a drunken Bantha, with Bruck emitting more rage with every swing. His movements were no longer as practiced and strong – now they were more akin to a youngling stumbling around attempting to hit a blaster remote.

Obi-Wan finally ignited his lightsaber and scored the first point of the match – a quick burn on Bruck's thigh. The other boy looked as if he was ready to bellow in rage and struck wildly in an attempt to wound Obi-Wan. Rhys could feel Bruck's rage peaking as he crushed his lightsaber into Obi-Wan's, forcing a blade lock. The blue and yellow blades hummed and whirred as they pressed against each other, hissing loudly when Obi-Wan twisted out of contact.

As the two fought on, Obi-Wan began to tire. His Ataru wasn't meant for long battles and the acrobatic form took its toll as he flipped away from Bruck. Bruck's rage gave him strength, and he scored a glancing burn that marked the side of Obi-Wan's tunic.

The next two points were in quick succession: Bruck received a small burn on the side of his forearm, and Obi-Wan a long burn to the back of his knee. As Obi-Wan retreated from the engagement Bruck followed after with a menacing grin on his face.

 _I have to end this soon_ , Obi-Wan thought as Bruck forced him into another blade lock. He hurriedly disengaged, then fell into the defensive stance of Soresu. Bruck laughed mockingly at him.

"Do you really think that you can beat me with defense?" he hissed, battering away at Obi-Wan's defenses.

"No, I don't," Obi-Wan responded, "I'm going to do it like this." He feinted as if he was going to use a Force-push and when Bruck stepped back to ground himself Obi-Wan caught his unequal footing and swept his legs in a similar way that Rhys often beat him. A moment later Bruck was glaring at a blue blade pointed at his face.

"Yield," he said calmly at the fuming boy. Bruck glared for a few more moments, then turned off his saber.

"Solah," Bruck muttered bitterly, refusing the hand that was offered and pulling himself to unsteady feet. He stalked off the mat and out of the Training Room, screaming his frustration and anger into the Force.

Once Cin Drallig had congratulated Obi-Wan on his victory the boy was immediately swarmed by his friends. Aayla, Siri, and Bant nearly knocked him over with the force of their hugs, with Garen, Reeft, and Rhys not far behind them. Obi-Wan was beaming as Initiates and Masters that he had never even talked to before came up to him and congratulated him on his victory.

"Initiate Kenobi."

Obi-Wan turned around to face Master Windu, who was holding out a small award that marked him as the victor of the Tournament. Jedi generally didn't have many possessions – Initiates generally had few – so the small award was something that many Initiates in the Tournaments had their eyes on. Obi-Wan thanked Master Windu breathlessly as he accepted the award. Almost as soon as Windu left Obi-Wan was once again surrounded by his friends.

"Excuse me, Initiate Kenobi, but might I have a word?" The seven friends turned around to see Master Sony-Da standing outside of their group. "Perhaps somewhere quieter?"

"Of course, Master," Obi-Wan answered, handing off his award to Bant and following the tall blonde Jedi out of the room.

Rhys watched them go with a strange feeling in her chest. She followed Obi-Wan's Force-signature until they were too far away, then focused on her surroundings once she felt the presence of another near her.

"Uneasy, you are, Padawan," Yoda said as he hobbled over to his apprentice, "Feel that something is amiss, you do?"

Rhys turned to her Master, "Yes, Master. I just feel….. like it's not right."

Yoda closed his eyes thoughtfully, "Trust your feelings, you must. Come, Padawan. Search out the source of this feeling, we will."

Rhys followed her Master out of the emptying Training Room, passing into the main corridor with countless other Jedi. Obi-Wan's Force-signature was weakened, but still present. They made their way towards all of the more popular meditation places, trying to find the slight ripple in the Force. After several minutes, Rhys spotted Master Windu talking in a side corridor with Qui-Gon, who looked a little upset. Yoda held up a small hand for her to stop once they were within hearing distance, respecting the Master's privacy.

Rhys waited a few moments alongside her Master, watching the conversation before her. She was itching with impatience – the Force nearly screaming at her to act. Master Yoda had once explained to her that because of her strong connection to the Force, she would often feel drawn by the will of the Force in many different directions. This resulted in a sort of hyper-activity that was amplified by her young age and relative lack of mental discipline.

 **Patience, Padawan,** Yoda chided over their mental connection. Rhys huffed a sigh and settled herself in for a long wait when Qui-Gon abruptly stiffened and fled the corridor in the direction of the Master's meditation gardens. Mace shot after him, worry and confusion written on his face. At her Master's motion, Rhys ran after them, only to stop when she heard a cry of pain surge through the Force.

Rhys was struck by its intensity, stumbling slightly and placing a hand on the wall. The Force-signature was definitely Obi-Wan's. For a moment, her mental shields slipped, and a fresh wave of visions spilled into her mind.

 _My name is Anakin, and I'm a person!_

 _I've got a very bad feeling about this…_

 _Yoda was my teacher, much like you were once his. Together we will destroy the Sith!_

And the most chilling _– You have done well, my apprentice. Now rise, Darth Lamia, and take your place by my side!_

"Padawan,"

Rhys felt a comforting hand on her arm and snapped her shields back into place. Yoda was standing next to her with Mace's apprentice Depa Billaba hanging back. The older padawan must have sensed her Master's worry and had followed him here.

"Stay here, you must," Yoda said, "Ward off others from this place, you must, until we return." He entered the room, Depa close behind. Rhys felt along their bond, and realized that he was showing her what he saw along the short mental distance.

 **"Not to the likes of you!" Sony-Da spat, "The boy is mine – I don't care what that troll Yoda says, I don't care what anyone says! I'm going to be the greatest Master there ever was, and you are going to bow at my feet!" With a roar, Sony-Da threw himself at Qui-Gon, his blue saber clashing against Qui-Gon's green.**

 **"Wrong you are, Sony-Da."**

 **Sony-Da, stunned enough by Yoda's appearance was caught off guard enough for Qui-Gon to sever his lightsaber hilt, rendering it useless. Rhys could feel his rage through the bond with her Master, and could only imagine the intensity if she was in the room. She now understood the other reason that Yoda had set her to guarding the door – her mental shields weren't strong enough yet to withstand the battering of pure hate surging from Sony-Da.**

 **Rhys watched as Mace, Depa, Qui-Gon, and her Master moved as one to throw the crazed Master backwards. No one moved as they realized that Sony-Da was out cold. Depa was the first to break the silence, kneeling over an unconscious Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon soon joined her, concerned for the young Initiate, while Mace summoned the Temple Guards to stand guard over the senseless Sony-Da.**

With a slight mental prodding from Yoda, Rhys withdrew from the mental connection. **Fetch the Healers, Padawan,** came to her mind, along with a wave of reassurance. Rhys sent back a mental affirmation and rushed off to the Healers Wing.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"They're in the Master's meditation gardens, hurry!" Rhys cried. Barrit Chopa and a team of healers followed closely behind the young padawan, the Mirialan Master Healer Y'Chiryō next to him carrying an anti-grav stretcher. The robed Temple Guards weren't far behind, flocking to Master Windu's side and taking up positions around the motionless Sony-Da.

"Master Jinn!" The Mirialan Master rushed to Qui-Gon's side by Obi-Wan, scanning the boy's body to discover the extent of his injuries. Rhys was astonished by the amount of blood on her friend's face and the deep bruising surrounding his neck. He also had a gash on the back of his head from when he had fallen – presumably on the remains of a stone bench that was now in pieces around him – and most likely several broken ribs.

"What in the Force?" Y'Chiryō murmured softly, "What happened?"

"He was attacked," Qui-Gon explained to his friend.

"I can see that. We need to get him back to the Healer's Wing now," he ordered, directing the rest of the Healers to help him move Obi-Wan onto the anti-grav stretcher. On his orders another Healer was dispatched to prep a bacta tank and surgery. "Careful," Y'Chiryō warned as they levitated him slowly onto the stretcher, "Right, let's go!"

Qui-Gon went to follow the Healers, but hesitated. Yoda laid a hand on the worried Master's arm.

"Go with them, you should. Watch Sony-Da, we shall. Need you, Obi-Wan will." With a nod of gratitude, Qui-Gon hurried after the Healers, his concern for Obi-Wan flickering through the fledgling bond.

As soon as Qui-Gon was out of earshot, Mace and Yoda began discussing the fate of Sony-Da with Depa chiming in occasionally. Rhys felt a cold wave of fear when Mace had described what the crazed Jedi had done to the boy that had refused to be his padawan. His lingering hatred of Qui-Gon and lust for power and recognition had eventually driven him to the Dark Side, attacking and beating Obi-Wan within an inch of his life.

The decision was eventually reached to hand Sony-Da over to the Temple Authorities, and confer with the other Council Members as for what to do with him until a proper trial could be organized. Yoda agreed to the emergency session of the Council, instructing Rhys to wait outside the Council chambers with Depa until they were finished.

As they sat together, both padawans were reluctant to talk about what they had just witnessed. Instead, they sat in companionable silence until the doors opened and the Council emerged. Depa immediately questioned her Master about the decision.

The Korun Master sighed heavily before replying, "He will be under surveillance for his and our safety. The Council has also agreed to repress his connection to the Force for the time being until his trial." Depa nodded and followed her Master out of the room.

"Padawan, something wrong there is, hrmm?" Yoda asked once the room was empty. Rhys hesitated before answering.

"Why would a Jedi Master attack an Initiate?" she begged, "Why did he do it?" Yoda was quiet for a long time, then answered his padawan's desperate question.

"The Dark Side of the Force clouds everything, Padawan. Full of hate, Sony-Da was. Part of the Light he is no longer." Rhys nodded her head in grim understanding.

"Will Obi-Wan be okay, Master?" Yoda chuckled softly in response.

"A strong bond with Master Jinn, he has. Grow greatly in the years to come, I think it will. Forged through the will of the Force, it was." Rhys agreed with her Master – the bond she had felt between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon was as nearly as strong as the one between Master Yoda and herself, and theirs had been nearly two years in the making.

"They will be a great pair," Rhys concurred, knowing that Force had brought them together for a reason. Master Yoda grunted in affirmative, then walked towards the elevator. Rhys joined him in the lift, staring out over the view of Coruscant traffic.

To Rhys's surprise, the lift stopped on the main level. She looked to her Master in confusion. "Training with Master Keelyvine, you have," he reminded her. Rhys' shoulders sagged as she got out of the lift. Her Jar'Kai training sessions with Master Keelyvine always ended with her receiving more bruises and burns and a great deal of homework. Upon seeing his padawan's melancholy expression, Yoda gently reminded her, "Visit Obi-Wan, you may, in the morning. See you at dinner, I will."

"Yes, Master," Rhys replied with a bow as he Master headed off to the Healer's Wing.

"Left saber up, right cut, cross defend!"

Rhys was sweating heavily as Master Keelyvine put her through a rigorous round of katas. The stern Master was hardly winded and there wasn't a single hair out of place of her usual severe bun and pins. She had been the padawan of Master Dooku, sharing his demand of perfection when it came to saber skills, disdain of humor, and total lack of apathy towards her students.

"Run through the kata again, then practice the vaulting technique. I expect to see you in two days' time for another sparring session. You are required to complete the first twenty katas tomorrow ten times." With that succinct instruction, Keelyvine straightened her green workout suit and purposefully exited the Training Room.

As soon as her instructor left the room, Rhys bemoaned her aching body. Master Keelyvine always opened their training sessions with a very demanding stretch routine to warm up for a spar and determine if Rhys had done her homework correctly. It was exhausting, but that's why Rhys always scheduled their sessions for the three hours before dinner so that she would eat well and meditate with her Master after.

The training sessions also made her so tired that she went to sleep quickly and didn't have as many Force-induced nightmares. Rhys wasn't mentally strong enough to maintain a resilient shield in her sleep, so her solution was to make herself so physically and mentally tired by the end of the day that she slept deeply until it was time for her dawn meditation. Rhys steeled herself and ran through the kata and vaulting technique one more time before taking a quick shower and changing out of her workout clothes.

Yoda was waiting for her in the Master's refectory nearest their room. She picked up a tray of food – an assortment of Rylothian fruits and meats – and sat across from her Master. It had become a tradition to eat their evening meal together in silence since Rhys was usually too tired to talk much. Once they had finished eating, they made their way back to their shared rooms to meditate. Rhys sat down in her usual spot to begin meditation, but was stopped by Yoda.

"Troubled by the events of today, you were, Padawan," Yoda said bluntly.

"Yes, Master," she replied, bowing her head, "I'm…. worried, I guess." Yoda prompted her to continue. "About Master Sony-Da leaving the Light and attacking Obi-Wan…. Do you think that I could go Dark?"

Yoda sat thoughtfully for a moment, then spoke ponderously, "Always in motion, the future is. Still have visions of Darth Lamia, do you?" Rhys nodded slowly, fear creeping into her heart. "Conquer these visions, you must," he said firmly, resting his hands on his gimer stick, "Like a river, the Force is. Many different currents there are, and many breaks in the water. Tell the future, I cannot. Only glimpses through the power of the Force."

"Thank you, Master."

Yoda grunted as he sat down beside her to meditate, "Too young you are to worry about the future. When eight hundred years you be, then have you the time for the worries of the future. Be mindful of your thoughts, Padawan."

Rhys let his words sink in and let her mind slip into an easy meditation. It had become much easier to meditate with the constant practice. She still felt like she was being plugged into an electrical circuit, but no longer had the sensation of being overwhelmed by the Force. After a few moments, Rhys felt another Force-induced vision build up behind her mental walls. She tried to suppress it, but a gnarled hand on her arm made her pause. Rhys opened her eyes to find her Master gazing at her serenely.

"Let it come. Resist the Force, we should not. Help you through it, I will." Rhys nodded, closing her eyes and letting the vision gently through her walls. Simply letting the vision take hold was far less painful than resisting the raging current.

 _"You know, Master, this may end up with us using aggressive negotiations."_

 _Rhys could see a young Jedi Master with her padawan, a human boy that looked to be about twelve. They were walking side-by-side in an ornate hallway, presumably on an off world mission._

 _"Where did you hear that?" the Master asked, darker robes swishing as she walked. The padawan had the grace to blush a bit, dipping his head._

 _"Well… Padawan Kenobi might have said it once or twice on the last mission I went on with him and Master Jinn." The Master shook her head in humorous annoyance at her padawan._

 _"If I leave you with Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi for much longer, one might think that you're his padawan instead of mine," the Master said drily. Her padawan grinned cheekily in response._

 _"Well, Master, if you didn't leave me for your Shadow missions…" he trailed off innocently. The Master wasn't fooled._

 _"We'll see, Padawan. We'll see."_

The vision faded with the ebbing flow of the Force around her. For the first time ever, Rhys was left with a feeling of hope for the future. The Master that she had seen bore a remarkable resemblance to her earlier nightmares of Darth Lamia, but this woman seemed more… caring, less harsh. She was missing the dark makeup and thickly braided hair accompanied by flaming lightsabers, but her features were eerily similar.

"The future, you have seen, hrmm?" Yoda queried, jolting Rhys from her thoughts. She nodded, opening her eyes.

"I believe so," she answered, "Was that…. Me? With a padawan? And Obi-Wan and Master Jinn?"

Yoda nodded sagely, "Seen this, I have. A great Master, you will be, if follow the will of the Force you do."

"Thank you, Master," Rhys said gratefully. The ancient Master looked at her kindly, then stood up, clasping his gimer stick firmly.

"Late it is, Padawan. Sleep, you must." Rhys stood and bowed.

"Yes, Master." As she headed to her bedroom, she called over her shoulder, "Goodnight, Master."

"And to you, Padawan."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 **Hooray for quick updates! As there is no docket, I only have one request… Please Review! I cannot tell you enough how much it means to have feedback on your writing! That being said, here is the disclaimer: Seeing as I am not George Lucas…. Or Disney…. Or rich at all…. I don't own the wonderful universe of Star Wars. Incidentally, I also don't own the characters Sony-Da or Y'Chiryō. Both are the lovely creation of AldabaranFox.**

After the dawn meditation with her Master, Rhys headed down to the main cafeteria to eat breakfast with her friends. Obi-Wan's absence was painfully obvious as the group of friends sat together in comforting silence. There was some cause for joy, though. Aayla had been chosen by the Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos to be his padawan.

When everyone had finished eating, the six friends trooped up to the Healer's Wing to see Obi-Wan. They were stopped by the sight of Qui-Gon Jinn coming out of the main Healing Hall.

"Master Qui-Gon, were you visiting Obi-Wan?" Rhys asked as the other went in the room. Qui-Gon nodded his assent.

"Yes, he's been awake for most of the morning." Rhys could feel the Force screaming at her to say something until she could hold it in no longer.

"Did you ask him to be your padawan?" She blurted, covering her mouth in embarrassment once the words had left her. Qui-Gon smiled warmly at her flushed face.

"Yes, Rhys, I did last night after he woke up from surgery." Rhys' face broke into a beaming smile.

"That's great!" she exclaimed, "Now Obi-Wan and Aayla can go to the Padawan Ceremony together!" Noticing her excitement and growing anticipation for seeing Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon waved her through the door. She bid him farewell with a frantic, "Thanks, Qui-Gon – er… Master Jinn!"

"You're welcome, Padawan Talik."

* * *

Obi-Wan had seemed a little tired, but happy to see his friends. They were wise enough not to ask him what had happened, but with the spreading news of Master Sony-Da's attack on an Initiate they already knew most of what had happened. Many of their class teachers had told them how their Lightsaber Teacher had fallen to the Dark Side, lashing out on an Initiate that turned him down. Some of the Mind Healers had been dispatched to comfort some of the more empathetic younglings that could still feel Sony-Da's rage echoing through the Temple.

Obi-Wan's friends were especially pleased to hear about his advancement to padawan, and rejoiced with him and Aayla. If he was well enough, Obi-Wan could join Aayla and the other Initiates chosen as padawans in the ceremony held in two days. Their visit was interrupted by Y'Chiryō who had noticed that Obi-Wan was due for another bacta treatment for his broken ribs. The Master Healer shooed the six friends out of the Healing Wing to their protest.

"Poor Obi," Bant lamented as soon as Y'Chiryō closed the doors on them, "He hates being stuck in the Healing Wing."

"Do you remember the time Obi tried to climb the crèche walls and broke his arm?" Garen asked. Everyone but Rhys and Aayla laughed at the memory. Seeing the two girls' confused faces, Garen elaborated on the story, illustrating how as a youngling he and Obi-Wan had dared each other to climb the sconce-filled walls of the crèche they shared. Garen had made it don safely, but Obi had fallen and broken his arm. Their crèche Master, Vena Kaa, had rushed him to the Healers and ordered him to stay there through the night.

Apparently, Obi-Wan had not been content to stay in his assigned bed in the Healing Halls and had snuck back into the crèche, drunk on painkillers. To this day, Y'Chiryō had never found out exactly how the youngling had escaped, and Obi-Wan had earned himself a record of difficulty with the Healers.

Once they reached the main hall, the group split for classes: Garen and Bant to their classes, Reeft to find his Master, and Siri, Aayla, and Rhys to spar. The Training Room was fairly empty, with the exceptions of a few younglings practicing after class. There was only one senior padawan, a green-skinned Nautolan who was setting up a game of dodgebolt. Intrigued, the three girls stood off to the side.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully once he saw them, "What can I do for you?" Rhys decided then and there that she liked this Nautolan. Usually, the senior padawans tended to be a bit snotty and dismissive towards their younger counterparts.

"Well… we were watching you set up a dodgebolt game," Aayla said shyly, a bit of a blush creeping up her blue cheeks. The Nautolan boy grinned and held out a hand to shake.

"Padawan Kit Fisto, at your service," he said formally, eyes twinkling in mirth.

"Initiate Siri Tachi."

"Padawan Rhys Talik."

"Initiate – well, I guess I'm going to be Padawan Aayla Secura in a few days."

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Kit said, looking over the three girls, "Do you want to play with me? It's kind of boring all by myself."

"Sure," Rhys answered before Siri could open her mouth, "How do you play?"

The Nautolan padawan smiled even wider as he explained the rules of team dodgebolt to the girls. Each team of two would have several remotes targeting them. The team would gain points every time either one received a stinging hit from the blaster remotes. The game was made even more challenging by playing with a second team and trying to deflect shots to distract and hit the other team. The team with the most points by the end of the time period would be the losers.

"So," Kit finished, "What are the teams?"

As he spoke, Aayla and Siri shot each other synchronized evil looks. The two girls were skilled at working together, and had practiced guarding each other during their training periods. They stepped closer together, clearly indicating that they were working together. Rhys sighed as she caught on to their signals.

"Looks like it's me and you, Kit."

Kit smirked as Aayla and Siri walked up to the mat, whispering conspiratorially, "Two padawans against a pair of Initiates? There's no way we could lose!"

Rhys stifled a laugh as they took their positions across from Aayla and Siri, igniting their lightsabers. At a signal from Kit the blaster remotes began hovering around the four Jedi, testing their defenses with quick shots. The shots quickly became more intense, forcing Kit and Rhys back-to-back. Rhys' twin purple sabers whirled in sync with Kit's bright green blade.

Siri was the first to receive a shot, hissing in pain as one of Kit's deflected bolts hit the back of her calf. She retaliated by sending a barrage of shots wildly back in his direction. Rhys yelped as one of them scored a glancing mark off of her shoulder.

The game went on for several more minutes, with a war emerging between Kit and Siri. Siri sent nearly all of her deflected shots towards Kit, but her defenses fell drastically, forcing Aayla to pick up the slack and receive more hits. The game ended at the sound of a buzzer, revealing that Aayla and Siri had lost by a margin of a single point.

Immediately after finding out that they lost, Aayla and Siri started bickering good-naturedly about whose fault it was that they didn't win. Eventually, they both agreed that it was – in fact – Kit's fault (not theirs) and shamelessly tackled him to the ground. Rhys was drawn into the fray by a signature leg-sweep of Siri's. In a matter of seconds, Siri was the one on the bottom of the pile, howling at all of them.

"Ow! Get off me you kriffing-"

"Siri!"

"Siri!" Rhys and Aayla yelled in tandem.

"Well… you were the one that tackled me…" Kit said wryly, which brought about another round of howls from Siri. The three on top clambered off of her, dodging vengeful swipes all the while. Exhausted, the four Jedi sat on the mat and laughed.

"Thanks Kit," Rhys said once they had composed themselves, "That was more fun than I've had in a long time." The other girls agreed.

"Thanks for playing with me," Kit replied, standing and helping the other up, "Anyone hungry for lunch?" Rhys grinned sheepishly as her stomach growled.

"Always!"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 **Greetings! Thank you so much for the reviews! A few items on the docket…**

 **\- I'm still looking for a beta reader if anyone or anyone you know is interested. I've finally been able to update more consistently, but it still might be a while before it gets to clockwork.**

 **\- CardiacCane: To answer a few questions, yes, I do plan on having Rhys and Dooku interact more – possibly in Episode II. Stay tuned!**

 **\- I've decided to do the remainder of time leading up to The Phantom Menace in a series of one-shots. Seeing as it would be nearly impossible to write the next twelve years of Rhys' life out, I thought it would be a bit easier to read this way. I plan for it to be some of the more important parts paired with the occasional bits of fluff.**

 **That should be about it. Please PM me with questions/comments/story ideas. Love you all, my awesome readers! Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Star Wars. I keep wishing, but no dice.**

In the two weeks following Sony-Da's attack, Obi-Wan was released from the Healer's Wing – much to his new Master's and Y'Chiryō's relief. Reeft had left with his Master on yet another mission, Aayla was training hard with her new Master, as was Obi-Wan now that he was fully healed. Siri, Garen, and Bant had classes that took up most of their time, so Rhys found herself meditating in her favorite spot in the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

The spot Rhys most often felt herself drawn to was a little hidden glade of Nubian trees by one of the smaller streams. The combination of the delicate leaves rustling in the breeze and the trickling water created a deeply soothing effect on the young padawan. The addition of fragrant herbs allowed Rhys to slip into peaceful meditation.

Rhys had been meditating for most of the afternoon when she felt someone approach her hidden sanctuary. Realizing that it was Obi-Wan she opened her eyes and lowered herself to the ground. Recently her meditations had resulted in her hovering a few inches above the ground, other small stones, leave, and twigs orbiting around her. When Rhys had asked Master Yoda about it, the ancient Master merely smiled and said that her focus was improving.

"Rhys!" Obi-Wan called as he made his way through the trees, "I thought I'd find you here between classes. Guess what?" Rhys cocked an eyebrow.

"You've finally decided that your one true love in life is flying, and you're running off to become an ace pilot?" She cracked drily. Obi-Wan scrunched up his face in disgust. Rhys smiled inwardly – her friend did not like flying.

"No. Force, no. Qui-Gon's taking me on a mission!" he exclaimed excitedly. Rhys congratulated him with a hug, ignoring the fleeting pulse of jealousy that she felt. Although she had been a padawan for nearly two years Master Yoda had yet to take her on a mission. She hadn't even been to Ilum to construct her first lightsaber – the twin blades she used now were a pair of low-powered training sabers.

"That's great, Obi!" she said, pulling out of the hug. Obi-Wan was beaming with happiness.

"Master Qui-Gon said to meet him at the main hangar in an hour – have you seen Bant and Garen? They're the only two I haven't told yet."

Rhys thought for a moment, then answered, "I'm not sure. You'd probably find Garen in the Training Room right now, and Bant might be swimming in the lake." Obi-Wan nodded, looking out in the direction of the lake.

"Thanks, Rhys," he said, exiting the grove of Nubian trees, "I'll message you as soon as I have time!"

"Bye!" she called out as she watched him leave. The yearning for adventure returned, followed by a sense of injustice. She tamped it down with a quick mental repetition of the Jedi Code used most often by younglings and Initiates:

 _Emotion, yet peace._

 _Ignorance, yet knowledge._

 _Passion, yet serenity._

 _Chaos, yet harmony._

 _Death, yet the Force._

Rhys took a deep breath. Her comm unit beeped, startling her from her thoughts. While initially fumbling with the comm, she answered it with her usual, "Talik."

"Padawan," Yoda's voice filtered through the comm, "Need to speak with you, I do. Meet in the Council Chambers, we will."

"Yes, Master," she replied, disconnecting the comm and walking out of the trees. She gave one last look at her hidden glade, then left the Room of a Thousand Fountains. She made her way to the Council Chambers, sitting in one of the chairs in front of the closed doors to wait for her Master. She waited for a few minutes, then stood respectfully when the doors opened and the Council members exited. Rhys gave a nod to each of them before turning to her Master, kneeling on his level when they were alone.

"Heard about Master Jinn's new mission, you did?" he asked her, leaning on his gimer stick. Rhys nodded, willing her face not to fall. Her Master noticed regardless. "Disappointed, you are," he stated bluntly, staring at his apprentice, "Not fair it is, you feel."

Rhys nodded ashamedly. Her Master had the uncanny ability to see right through her every emotion and thought. Granted, he was much more skilled at sensing her emotions through their shared Force-bond and had centuries of experience.

"Accompany a group of Initiates to Ilum, we will," Yoda said, jolting Rhys into reality. Her eyes bugged in shock.

"Really?!"

Yoda chuckled, "Leave in a week, we will. Prepare with the other Initiates, you will."

* * *

For Rhys, the following week flew by in a matter of moments. On more than one occasion, Master Yoda commented on her excitement and often sent her to meditate or train to calm herself.

She would be making the trip to Ilum with the other ten-year-olds that had recently passed the Initiate Trials. She didn't know many of them well, but she had recognized several of them from her various classes around the Temple. The stigma of having Yoda as her Master had mostly faded by now, with more and more Initiates Rhys' age talking and training with her. When the day finally came, Rhys found herself alongside her Master, listening to him explain the process to the young Initiates in his gravelly voice.

Each Initiate would have to venture into the icy caves of Ilum to retrieve a crystal to power their lightsabers. Yoda warned that the caves would try to trick them, leading the occasional Initiate astray or to madness. If they returned with a crystal, they would be allowed to build their own lightsaber and join the ranks of Jedi Knights carrying the symbolic trademark of their order.

When they finally landed on Ilum, Rhys was beyond shocked at how cold the planet was as the icy wind swept across her skin. Coruscant was fairly warm, and Naboo was one of the more mild planets in the galaxy so she was nowhere used to the frigid air. The other Initiates were as equally shocked by the cold – having never been to another planet since they were brought to the Temple. Yoda simply smiled at the dumbstruck faces of the Initiates and his Padawan.

"Enter the caves, you will," he instructed, directing the children to the gaping cave mouth in front of them. When Rhys glanced back at him, he urged her on gently. "Go on, Padawan. Wait for you, I will."

Rhys steeled herself and entered the caves behind the other Initiates. She closed her eyes, opening herself to the will of the Force. She followed the flow of energy for several minutes, drawing away from the others. She entered a curiously bright cavern that seemed a little warmer than the rock surrounding it that shone brightly through a hole in the top.

Basking in the pure presence of the Force, Rhys sat down and began to meditate. She didn't know how long she had meditated for, but was roused when she felt the air around her revert back to icy cold. Opening her eyes, Rhys realized that the light coming in from the top of the cave was slowly fading, casting deep shadows across the stone walls.

"You must now realize that you cannot run from me," a chilling voice hissed. Rhys spun around to reveal the ghost that haunted her nightmares: Darth Lamia.

Her thickly braided hair was pulled tightly into a high ponytail, creating severe angles across her cheekbones and forehead. Swirling tattoos marked the skin below her eyes, bringing out the yellow of her eyes that blazed in anger. Her twin saber staffs weren't lit, but were strapped to her sides in thigh-sheaths. Rhys was surprised to see that she also had other hilts attached to her belt – obviously trophies taken from other Jedi. Her skintight pants and top revealed more tattoos on her arms and bared midriff.

"I can try," Rhys responded coolly, calling her lightsabers to her hands. Darth Lamia merely smirked evilly in reply. Rhys let out a fearsome war cry and charged the Sith.

"Yes, use your anger," the Sith taunted as the padawan flew at her, blades snapping to life, "It is our greatest weapon against the weak Jedi!" They fought furiously for several moments, Darth Lamia toying with her younger self. Without warning, she lashed out with a vicious kick, sending Rhys crashing into the cave wall. She held a red blade to the padawan's neck without remorse.

"The Jedi have taken everything from you!" Lamia spat, "We must fight against them and take our revenge! You have darkness inside of you – use it!"

Rhys could feel the darkness begin to eat at the corner of her heart, revealing all of the emotions she had suppressed over the years – anger, jealousy, arrogance, and a slew of others came right to the front of her mind. She could feel the urge to tap into those emotions, to use them against her foe.

"You are weak, like those pathetic Jedi, like the fool Yoda and Obi-Wan-"

"I AM NOT WEAK!" Rhys cried, pushing the Sith back. Her vision began to narrow, her only focus on the red blades of her opponent. Darth Lamia cackled wildly, an insane light flickering in her eyes.

"Good, now use that hate to strike me down, and you will become the most powerful Jedi there ever was!" Rhys stopped abruptly in her attack, clearing her mind of the fog that had begun to cloud it and realizing that she was inches away from the line separating Light and Dark.

"No…." she said, taking a deep breath and releasing her emotions, "I am a Jedi. This is not the Jedi way."

Lamia screeched in anger and swiped her lightsabers across Rhys' torso. The girl fell onto her knees in pain to wait for the final blow. It never came. Rhys looked up to see the light returning to the cavern, no one else in sight. She took a deep breath to steady herself and put her hands into the snow to steady herself. She was surprised to feel something hard underneath her palm.

Rhys brushed away the biting snow to reveal a pair of small, amethyst crystals underneath her fingers – the crystal she had been sent into the caves to find. She sat there a few moments longer, admiring the delicate crystals until she remembered the time. She followed her senses back through the caves, eventually making her way back up to the surface.

"Found your crystal, Padawan?" Master Yoda asked, standing with the other Initiates that had already returned. Rhys nodded, holding out the pair of purple gems out for his inspection. She also sent him a few images of her experience across their Master-Padawan bond. "Speak of this later, we will." Rhys nodded her assent and climbed up the ship's ramp with the others.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

 **SpeechBubbleMe here! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars….*sniff*…. But that's okay, I guess. All hail the great and powerful Disney.**

* * *

"Felt the Dark Side, you did, Padawan."

Rhys knelt before her Master in their rooms as she finished showing him her full experience in the caves of Ilum. She couldn't detect any sort of emotion from her Master, be it annoyance, anger, or disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Master," she apologized, eyes downcast.

"Encounter the Dark Side, every Jedi does," Yoda comforted her gently, placing a hand on her back.

"I just… felt so angry, Master." Rhys whispered, voice trembling, "I could feel myself _want_ to use my anger… and I knew that it was wrong…. But I couldn't stop." Yoda sent a wave of comfort through their bond. They were silent for what felt like a thousand moments until Yoda spoke.

"Accept the will of the Force, we must, Padawan. Care about the consequences of leaving the Light, do you?"

"Yes, Master," Rhys answered firmly, wiping at her eyes, "I think about it all the time."

"Good. Release your emotions, you must. Allow them to rule your mind, you cannot. Acknowledge them for what they are, we do, but never seek to use them against another. To the Dark Side, we would fall." Yoda smiled kindly at his apprentice, "A great Jedi you will be, Padawan, but more training we still have."

* * *

 _One year later…._

"You have got to be kidding me."

Rhys sprinted down to the engine room of the diplomatic starship she and Depa Billaba were on. The newly knighted Jedi had been tasked by Yoda to take his eleven-year-old padawan on a mission that he himself could not go on – escorting Senator Ira Maven back to his home world of Mygeeto. The Senator had been one of loudest voices speaking against a new bill that would lessen prison sentences of low-level crime bosses, making him the target of several assassination attempts.

They had just come out of a hyperspace jump, landing above Mygeeto, when the cruiser Depa was piloting carrying the Senator and a few of his aides was set upon by pirates. _They were obviously waiting for us,_ Rhys thought as she burst into the engine room. She wished that they had taken a more roundabout path to Mygeeto rather than a straight jump from Coruscant, but that couldn't be helped now. To add to the problems, Senator Maven had insisted that the Jedi take his commissioned cruiser rather than one that was less-known. The diplomatic cruiser had little to no weapons and was obviously designed for comfort rather than concealment.

"Sithspit!" Rhys swore as she took in the state of the overloaded engine room. The pirates had scored a hit directly on one of the coolant chambers, overheating all of the electrical relays and rendering them next to useless. She thought back to the other missions she had gone on – the first with her Master was a simple mission negotiating a mining treaty between the governing body of Arkania and a gem mining syndicate. The second was much like the first, negotiating a trade agreement between a rural planet and one of its moons. This third mission was anything but.

"Master, all of the relays are overheated. If we don't send some astro droids out there soon we aren't going to be in the air much longer," Rhys said over her comm.

"I'm sending the droids out now – fix what you can on your end then head to the gun turrets," Depa replied, surprisingly calm considering the situation, "I'm going to try and bring her away from the main traffic lanes."

Rhys agreed with Depa's decision – Mygeeto was a cold, urban planet that saw a lot of traffic. There would almost definitely be civilian casualties if the battle went in the direction of oncoming traffic. "Yes, Master," she answered quickly, then turned her comm on high alert. If anything happened, she wanted to be able to know at once.

Rhys turned her attention to the fried controls surrounding the main engine. The coolant tubes were still in place, just separated by a charred blast area. Using the Force, she connected whatever wires and tubes that were still intact and cleared debris from the inner workings. She could sense the droids working on the outer hull to repair the blast damage. Satisfied, she hurriedly exited the engine room and ran to the single pair of gun turrets. She strapped herself into the gunner's chairs, placing her hand on the trigger and staring intently out at the blackness of space.

"There's one coming around on your right, Rhys," Depa's voice sounded over the comm.

"I see him," Rhys responded, training the sights on a small Headhunter-class Starfighter that had appeared in her view. Just like the simulator, she thought as she coolly pressed the trigger. The fighter burst into flames and plummeted from her sight.

"Good shot, Rhys," Depa complimented as she brought the ship out from a hard roll to avoid a blast aimed at the fuel cells. The young Knight was an excellent pilot, dodging blasts and weaving between the large starships that hovered above the planet's atmosphere. "MPF is on the way now."

Rhys silently nodded. The Mygeeto Police Force would definitely put an end to the battle. Out of the corner of her eye Rhys spied the distinctive yellow and red Starfighters belonging to the MPF take off from a nearby orbiting station.

"How's the Senator?" Rhys asked casually, shooting down another Headhunter. Depa chuckled in reply.

"His Difficultness decided to barricade himself and his aides in his quarters," the young Knight said nonchalantly. "His Difficultness" was aptly named – Senator Maven had done nothing but berate the two Jedi since he came on board. The Jedi shared a silent laugh, then returned to the task at hand. They were out of the woods – MPF fighters were now arranged protectively around the cruiser, chasing off the pirates and guiding the smoking cruiser to a landing pad. Rhys headed back up to the cockpit once they were safely descending into the atmosphere.

"You handled yourself well, Rhys," Depa complimented as soon as she sensed the padawan enter the cockpit.

"Thanks," Rhys replied, accepting the compliment graciously, "You saved us with your piloting skills."

"True," Depa answered, "But for only your third mission you did rather well. I probably wouldn't have kept a cool head if I was in a space battle on my third mission." The older Jedi glanced at the approaching landing pad, "Great. We're about to get an earful from His Difficultness."

Rhys sighed as she and Depa exited the cockpit and walked towards Senator Maven's quarters. Depa paused before knocking.

"Are you ready to face the fires of wrath, _padawan_?" she asked teasingly.

Rhys rolled her eyes, "Whenever you're ready, _Master_."

* * *

Rhys flopped on her bed, jet-lagged and sore. It had been late at night when she and Depa had left Mygeeto, and was now very early morning on Coruscant. Her Master – as he always did – met her at the Temple landing pad and proceeded to usher them to the Council Chambers to give their report. The attacks on Senator Maven had been fairly high profile, with several reporters on Mygeeto and Coruscant running stories on the events. Rhys had stood next to Depa while the older Jedi gave her report on the attack and involvement of the Mygeeto Police. The Council had asked a few questions, then released them to their rooms.

After a month of protecting Senator Maven and his family on Mygeeto, Rhys was ready for a break. Not only had the mission been her hardest, but also the longest. However, it was not uncommon for Jedi to be assigned to missions that could take years to complete – especially those associated with deep undercover. Rhys' commlink buzzed, interrupting her thoughts.

"Talik," she answered wearily.

"No hello for your best friend?" Obi-Wan's voice filtered through the comm. Rhys groaned and rolled over.

"Not at this hour," she moaned, "Talk to me in the morning, Obi."

"It is morning, Rhys," he teased.

"No it's not. Goodnight, Obi."

Rhys fell asleep to the sound of her friend trying to stifle a laugh.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 **Thank you everyone for your awesome reviews! It's really a confidence booster to know that your writings are being read and actually liked! Behold…. The docket…**

 **….**

 **Yes, it's blissfully nonexistent! Disclaimer: Once again, all hail Disney… I don't own Star Wars, only my OC's.**

* * *

"Rhys…. Rhys, wake up."

Obi-Wan tapped his sleeping friend on the shoulder, then quickly stepped back. As expected, Rhys responded out of reflex and punched the air where his face used to be.

"You're going to have to be faster than that, Rhys," he teased, nudging her from sleep, "Come on or else we're going to miss breakfast!"

Rhys moaned in protest and rolled over. "Why are you in my room?" she asked blearily.

"Well, I was already coming over to get you for breakfast when Master Yoda said that he wasn't going to let you sleep any longer and that you might need a bit of help," he said cheerily. Rhys sent a glare in his direction.

"Get out."

"Nope."

"Get. Out. Now."

"I'm not letting you go back to sleep, Rhys."

"Get out!"

"No."

Rhys threw her hands into the air, "I can't get dressed with you in here, laserbrain! Get. Out!"

"Oh…" Obi-Wan blushed a bit and retreated behind the door, "I'll… uh… just wait out here then." Rhys rolled her eyes as he closed the door and stood up to go to the refresher. Her dark hair – naturally – looked like a mynock's nest and her pajamas were rumpled. She quickly changed into her usual grey tunic and pinned her hair into a low bun. Obi-Wan was sitting on the couch when she emerged.

"Let's go, laserbrain."

* * *

Rhys and Obi-Wan met up with their group of friends sitting at their usual table. Surprisingly, all of the fourteen-year-olds were there. In the year since Obi-Wan had been chosen as Qui-Gon's padawan Garen, Siri, and Bant had all been made padawans. There was seldom a time when all of them could be together at the Temple, but they rejoiced in the rare times when it happened. Siri and Aayla were nowhere to be seen – presumably on missions with their Masters – but the table seemed full with Garen, Reeft, Bant, Obi-Wan and Rhys all together.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Garen called out cheerfully as Rhys sat down with her tray laden with Nubian fruits and warm oat cereal. In the past year, Rhys had found that she genuinely enjoyed eating fruit from her home world and tried to have some around her quarters whenever she was at the Temple.

"It would have been a better morning if someone hadn't woken me up," Rhys retorted, staring pointedly at Obi-Wan. The boy in question raised his hands guiltlessly.

"I was merely following the orders of your Master."

"Of course you were," she hissed under her breath and dug into the warm meal in front of her.

The rest of breakfast followed in a familiar fashion – the five padawans would tell stories about their training or missions, accompanied by friendly ribbing and banter. Reeft, Garen, and Obi-Wan all traded stories about their most recent missions over the past year, trying to gage who had the most troublesome mission. Obi-Wan was judged the winner, illustrating his second mission when he had been sent to escort a delegate for a system treaty. The ship had crashed, but Obi-Wan and the delegate had survived and trekked through the thick jungle, battling creatures and poison from a plant that caused delirium and hallucinations.

Rhys was more than a little glad that none of her missions had landed her in the Healer's Wing yet. She had been there several times for sparring injuries and once when she had caught the Dentari Flu but still retained a deep dislike for hospitals. Bant kept trying to reassure Rhys and Obi-Wan that the Healing Halls were very safe and one of her favorite places in the Temple, but was gaining no progress.

Breakfast was over far too soon in Rhys' opinion, her friends saying their goodbyes as they headed to various places in the Temple. Reeft and Garen were headed to spar, Obi-Wan to meditate with Qui-Gon, and Bant to the Healing Halls to receive another lesson from Healer Vokara Che. Rhys sighed as she headed to her battle tactics class taught by Master Mundi – It was going to be a long day…

* * *

"Your padawan has come far in these past years, Master Yoda."

Master Yoda looked over at the cloaked figure addressing him. Master Maw was one of the five current members of the Council of First Knowledge, and was the head of the Jedi Shadows. "Learned much, she has," he agreed.

"I have been watching her for some time now…" Maw trailed off, "I believe that young Talik could prove to be a promising Jedi Shadow. She is skilled at hiding her Force-signature, as well as tracking others. She is in tune with both the Light and Dark side of the Force which could enable her to investigate some of our… more delicate artifacts."

"Say many things you do, Master Maw. Speak your question, you must." Yoda rebuked the Jedi Shadow. Maw dipped his head in respect, chastened.

"Master Yoda, I would like your permission to train your apprentice as a Jedi Shadow," Maw replied bluntly. Yoda sighed – this was the question he had been expecting.

"Full of Light, she is," Yoda said softly, "Wish for her to endure these pains, I do not. Meditate on this, I will. Expect my answer tomorrow, you will." Maw bowed respectfully and left the Master to walk in solitude.

Yoda walked slowly down the upper hall of the Temple, contemplating his padawan's future. He had seen what she could become, the revered and wise Jedi Master Talik or the feared Sith menace Darth Lamia. He could see her legacy, should she choose it, one of hope or one of death and destruction. Both paths were possible, but both depended on her experiences with the Dark Side of the Force to build her strength. The Force tugged gently at his consciousness, bringing forward a vision.

 _"You know I can't bring you on this one, Tam," the Jedi Master said to her sad-looking padawan, "Master Kenobi is a good teacher, and he'll need you more than ever if he plans on taking Flyboy to Ilum."_

 _The padawan smiled a bit at her remark, "He does tend to get a bit excited, doesn't he, Master?"_

 _"I was the same at his age, Tam," the Master chuckled, "But it will pass in time." She embraced her padawan, holding him tightly._

 _"I'll miss you, Master," the padawan said softly, not willing to pull away, "Be safe."_

 _The Master pulled away and looked at her apprentice with a twinkle in her eye._

 _"When am I not?"_

The vision slowly faded away, leaving the ancient Master alone with his thoughts. He pondered on his padawan's fate and made his decision. For better or for worse, Rhys Talik would be trained as a Jedi Shadow.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

 **Hello all! Thank you so much for reading this fic! Please remember to review and follow! Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, I do not own Star Wars, I do not own Star Wars….**

* * *

 _The vision slowly faded away, leaving the ancient Master alone with his thoughts. He pondered on his padawan's fate and made his decision. For better or for worse, Rhys Talik would be trained as a Jedi Shadow._

 _Two years later…_

Thirteen-year-old Rhys Talik stood on a ledge overlooking a heavily forested valley. Thousands of years ago, the planet Karavin had been the site of an enormous battle between the Sith and the Jedi. It had been uninhabited except for the solitary Sith Temple at the center of the battlefield. The ancient Jedi had driven the Sith from the planet, but rendered it uninhabitable to non-native species.

"Can you sense the Temple, young one?"

Rhys didn't bother turning – she could sense Master Maw looming behind her, viewing the valley for himself. She resisted the urge to say something sarcastic and merely nodded in reply.

 _Taria would have said something,_ Rhys thought wistfully. Taria Damsin, Master Maw's padawan, was currently preparing herself for an extensive undercover mission. The turquoise-haired fourteen-year-old had made fast friends with Rhys, and made their difficult Shadow missions much more interesting.

"Shall we descend?" Maw asked. Rhys made a soft sound of assent, then followed the Master in making her way down the side of the mountain.

Rhys could feel the Dark Side seeping into everything around her – the trees, the animals that had been twisted and warped over centuries, and the very ground beneath her feet. The two Jedi picked their way over massive roots protruding from the moist ground, skirting half-buried spacecraft and demolished weapons. As they neared the Temple, Maw reminded his student to strengthen her mental shields.

Rhys couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the ancient Sith Temple as it emerged from the thick foliage. Onyx spires hidden by the gigantic trees dwarfed the two Jedi significantly as they approached its black walls. Fear, pain, and intense hatred came from the structure in droves, drowning any other speck of life that dared to come near. The Temple itself seemed to be strangely sentient, warding off all who would enter with the wrong intent.

"What happened here?" Rhys wondered out loud, tracing some of the runes engraved upon the outer walls with her fingers.

"The Sith did not completely abandon their Temple after it was overrun by the Jedi," Maw said as he examined a particularly well-preserved statue of a hooded Sith Lord, "Centuries later, an unnamed Sith Lord returned to hide treasured artifacts in this Temple, then disappeared. Since then, the Jedi have been trying to recover and possibly destroy these dangerous artifacts before they continue to infect the whole planet further."

"What are we looking for?"

Maw chuckled softly, "Anything that could possibly kill us."

* * *

Several hours later, Rhys found herself in the deep catacombs of the Sith Temple. Maw had asked his student to lead them, following the promptings of the Force into the darkest part of the Temple. She could feel the malicious whisperings of the Dark Side, trying to tempt her with offers of power and freedom. She picked out one voice from the raging river of the Force, and followed it to a rune-covered wall.

Maw stepped up to the wall, tracing the fading runes. Rhys stepped back, allowing the Master to decipher the incomprehensible symbols. She couldn't yet read the Sith language, and was finding it nearly impossible to solve when Maw tried to teach her. Maw muttered to himself softly for several minutes, then frantically began to press on various sections of the wall.

"What is it, Master?" Rhys asked, gazing at him curiously. Maw turned around sharply, showing more emotion on his face than Rhys had ever seen.

"There's a holocron behind these doors!" he exclaimed, turning once more to the doors. Rhys' eyes widened in surprise – Sith holocrons were the find of a lifetime! Most were destroyed in the Sith Wars thousands of years ago, but some were obviously still hidden in long-forgotten temples scattered across the galaxy.

"The doors are magnetically sealed," Maw explained, "All we have to do is find the release mechanism."

"What do they usually look like?"

"Most sealed chambers generally have some sort of button somewhere – usually a loose brick or fake stone embedded into the rock. I think that I may have found it," Maw stepped aside to show Rhys his object of interest, "This glyph, here, is incorrect. If I'm right, then all it would need is a little-" He gave the circular character a slight push and the walls began to retract and reveal a darkened hallway.

Rhys cautiously followed Master Maw as he forged ahead through the tunnel. The older Jedi seemed to be invigorated with the hope of discovering the resting place of a holocron. He nearly ran through the close walls of obsidian rock, until he stopped, entering a large cavernous chamber. Rhys stopped beside him, resisting the urge to stare.

The cavern was dark, the only source of red light being emitted by a small, glowing pyramid atop a pedestal. Rhys followed Maw between looming statues as he reverently approached the pedestal, gazing upon it with something akin to wonder. Rhys curiously gazed over the features of the cavern – finely crafted statues, detailed carvings, and walls laden with painstakingly-etched glyphs.

"Padawan!" Maw barked, startling Rhys from her observations, "We must take the holocron back to the ship with us. Be very careful," He warned, "I don't know if it's active or not-"

Without warning, the entire room erupted in red light that poured from the holocron, the resulting energy wave throwing the two Jedi to the ground. Rhys looked up from her position on the cold stone floor to see a figure beginning to coalesce.

 **WHO DARES INTRUDE UPON MY RESTING PLACE!?**

The mental shout was so loud that Rhys' vision began to flicker. The figure floated above the pedestal, forming a ten-foot-tall specter of a hooded Sith Lord.

 **THE JEDI WILL PAY FOR THEIR CRIMES! NO MORE SHALL DARTH BANE LINGER IN THE SHADOWS! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!**

Rhys curled up in pain as she felt a presence attempt to enter her mind and break through her mental shields. Through a slit in her vision, Rhys could see Master Maw attempt to stand up, only to be struck down by a wave of ghostly lightning from the Sith. She could feel her mental shields begin to crack, exposing her to the presence. In a single fell motion, the overwhelming energy swarmed into her unprotected mind, digging through memories like they were nothing.

 _"You know I can't keep a secret from him, Padme… regardless of the consequences…"_

 _"Oh, not good!"_

 _Two female Jedi fighting furiously among falling rocks, one finally stabbing the other through her chest with a purple-bladed lightsaber-_

 _"No… I highly doubt that my wife would allow it…. He's likely to be our only child, and with Knight Olo's death so recently-"_

 _A woman hugging a little boy with auburn hair tightly to her chest, tears streaming down her face-_

 _Countless Jedi being cut down by a blue lightsaber-_

"STOP!" Rhys cried out in agony as more and more of her visions were brought to the front of her mind. The presence seemed to take little notice of her anguish, and dug ever deeper into the corners of her mind. The barrage lasted a lifetime, ending with Rhys retreating into the most isolated part of her mind. She half consciously sensed a powerful Force-push from Maw, then the presence disappeared from her mind with loud curses and wailing. Moments later she felt the Master's hands trying to shake her awake.

"Talik, get up!"

"Make it stop…" she moaned, unable to piece together her shattered mental shields as vision upon vision consumed her thoughts. Rhys desperately racked her brain for some way to silence the screaming cry of the Force until she stumbled upon a tiny glimmer of possibility. Drawing all of her strength, she pushed every bit of Force-energy out of her mind, severing her overloaded connection to the Force.

"Padawan Talik!" the shaking grew more frenzied now, "What have you done?!"

"I…. made it stop…." Rhys croaked weakly, before allowing the silence in her mind to consume her.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 **Hey peoples! SpeechBubbleMe here! Can I just say…. Lovelovelovelov reviews! (Yes, I'm very weird…) Anyway, thank you all for your continued willingness to read this fic. Don't forget to review!**

 **Disclaimer: *sniff*….. *sniff sniff*….. *bawling* I Don't Own Star Wars!**

* * *

The main hangar was a flurry of activity once Master Maw's transport touched down. The ship had hardly touched down when the cloaked Master raced down the ship's ramp with a small body in his arms. He pushed past the group of Healers and Council members standing by to gently place the unconscious Rhys Talik onto an anti-grav unit that the Healers rushed to the nearby Healer's Wing.

"Give your full report, you did not, Master Maw," Yoda gently reminded the younger Master. Maw was staring at the slowly disappearing forms of the Healers pushing an anti-grav unit out of the hangar with something that looked like regret.

"Yes, Master," he answered, straightening himself a little bit, then recounted how he and Padawan Talik had found a Sith holocron in the ancient Karavin Temple. Master Yoda's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the Sith Lord as Maw recalled how the figure appeared to be connected to the energy in the holocron. When he got to the part where the presence had attacked their minds, Maw's voice faltered.

"There was nothing I could do," he said softly, bowing his head, "By the time I had destroyed the holocron, the Sith had already broken her shields and seized her memories. When I went over to her, she was barely moving." Maw stopped for a moment, then gazed mournfully at Rhys' Master, "I believe she cut herself off from the Force rather than be subjected to more of that torture."

"Attend to my Padawan, I must," Yoda said, addressing the Council members around him, "Strong, she is, but still need guidance, she does."

* * *

Rhys floated aimlessly in a sea of silence, her memories strewn about her. She had pieced several of them back together, but it was a near impossible task that left her severely fatigued. The comforting warmth that used to exist in the back of her mind was gone now, and she could no longer sense the world around her.

 **Padawan….**

She started at the sudden voice echoing around her. The gray wasteland all around her was devoid of anything else. The last voice that had echoed inside her head resulted in pain – so much pain. This sound was considerably quieter than the last voice, and offered comfort instead of pain.

 **Padawan….**

It took Rhys a while to place the sound, but when she remembered, she nearly wept with joy.

 **Master!** She called out. A sense of approval seemed to emanate from all around her. **Master, where are you?**

 **Open yourself to the Force again, you must, Padawan.**

Rhys' face fell. If she opened her mind, it would hurt… and then she would see the faces again, so many faces. She didn't know if she really wanted to open her mind again.

 **Destroy you, it will, Padawan, if continue this does. Sustain you longer, I cannot.**

 **I can't!** Rhys screamed to the emptiness around her, **I can't see them anymore!**

 **Padawan** , her Master's voice sounded half-underwater now, more garbled than anything, **Courage you have – use it, you must! Try, you cannot! Do, you must!**

Rhys steeled herself for the onslaught of visions when she broke apart her remaining shields, but none came. The warmth in the back of her mind was back, though, and Rhys basked in the comfort of it. A hand other than her own began reconstructing her shattered mind, but Rhys no longer cared.

 **Master…?** She questioned drowsily, **Can I sleep now?**

 **Yes, Padawan… sleep, you may.**

* * *

Yoda sat beside his motionless Padawan as he felt her consciousness dim. Sighing softly, he released the flow of the Force that had kept his Padawan's mind tethered to her body. Seconds later, Rhys' body began to breathe on its own.

Yoda breathed a sigh of relief – when he had arrived, the Healers were exhausted from trying to keep her body functioning until he could recover her scattered mind. He was thankful that she didn't have any outward injuries, as it would have been impossible to keep her alive from inside a bacta tank.

"You were able to find her?" Vokara Che, the Master Healer on duty said as she checked her newest patient.

"Survive, she will," the small Master said confidently, then levitated a chair over to Rhys' bedside, "Rest, I must."

The Master Healer nodded and left the room. Yoda checked on his apprentice one more time, and smiled when he found her unconsciously piecing back together her memories. It would take a lot of work on both of their parts, but he was sure that his Padawan would be back to her usual self in no time.

* * *

"Come on, Y'Chiryō, you've got to let me in!"

Obi-Wan stood in front of the unyielding Mirialan Healer barring the door to the Healing Halls where Rhys was.

"I don't think so, Padawan Kenobi. You're more trouble than it's worth to have in my hospital wing," the Master Healer said, crossing his arms stubbornly, "You can see your friend in a couple of days."

Obi-Wan stomped off in a huff – he had just gotten back from his mission to the news that one of his best friends was almost dead in the Healer's Wing. He could count all of the times that Rhys had come to see him when he got came back injured from a mission, and he wanted to return the favor. Rhys didn't like the Healer's Wing any more than he did, and Obi-Wan was sure that she wouldn't want to stay in there willingly.

"And where are you headed, Padawan?" His Master's voice stopped him in his tracks. Obi-Wan turned around to face Master Qui-Gon, erasing all traces of guilt from his expression.

"Um….. Sparring with Garen?" he tried weakly, as that had been his earlier goal before he found out that Rhys was in the Healer's Wing. Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yes, that's what you told me you were doing this _morning._ Before _breakfast_ ," he emphasized, "It's now _well_ past that, Obi-Wan."

The repentant padawan hung his head. "I just really wanted to see Rhys. She hates being cooped up in the Healer's Wing as much as I do, and besides, she's done the same for me!" he said defensively, remembering the first time he got injured on a mission and Rhys had snuck through a window to bring him some fruit from the refectory.

Qui-Gon placed a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, "Patience, young one. Rhys isn't going anywhere, understand?" The boy nodded. "Now go spar with Garen for real – I'm sure that he would love to see one of his friends that's been gone for several months, yes?"

"He's probably tired of being stuck at the Temple," Obi-Wan agreed. Garen's Master had been asked to teach a youngling class shortly before Obi-Wan had left on his most recent mission. Seeing as all of his other friends were off on missions, Garen would most likely be ecstatic to find not one, but two of his favorite people in the Temple here with him.

"Go on," Qui-Gon said, shooing his padawan away. Obi-Wan grinned as he spotted his friend's lanky form walk down an adjoining hall and sped away in his direction.

Qui-Gon smiled as the two friends hugged and went off in the direction of the Training Room. Obi-Wan was certainly in for a surprise – while Garen wasn't considered the next best swordsman of their generation, he was well beyond his age in skill. His padawan definitely had a challenge ahead of him.

"Thanks for that," Y'Chiryō remarked drily as he came up behind Qui-Gon to stand by the tall Jedi Master, "He's been pestering me for most of the morning."

"He is quite stubborn, isn't he?" Qui-Gon mused out loud. The Mirialan rolled his eyes.

"I wonder where he gets that from, Qui?"

Qui-Gon winced – Obi-Wan had been picking up several of his… less desirable… personality traits. Stubbornness, occasional disregard for rules, and the tendency to follow an idea through to its completion were some of the few he'd picked up in a few short years. Obi-Wan's sarcasm and ready wit, however, were solely his. At least the padawan hadn't quite agreed with his Master's maverick way of thinking… yet. Qui-Gon's eyes chased after his fifteen-year-old padawan with pride.

"I have no idea, honestly."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

 **Thank you to all of the new readers and reviewers! Sorry that my schedule is crap, but I'm going to try and aim for 1-2 chapters a week depending on how the story goes/how I feel (Apparently the Star Wars muse is quite fickle about when she bestows her blessings – any ideas on correct offerings to irate muses?). In any case, here is Chapter 17!**

 **Disclaimer: I really, really, really love Star Wars. Sadly, I really, really, really don't own any of it other than my OC's. Also, continuing kudos to AldabaranFox for her lovely characters Y'Chiryō and Sony-Da that she allowed me to use!**

* * *

"How long has she been in the Healer's Wing?"

Obi-Wan sighed as he and Garen toweled off after their sparring session. His friend had gotten surprisingly good and could have probably beaten him if the spar had lasted much longer. "From what Qui-Gon told me, about twenty-four hours by now."

"So… longer than usual, huh?" Garen quipped, packing up his workout clothes, "She usually makes it out before twenty."

"Usually?"

"Yeah, we… uh… tend to fight with our own sabers instead of the training ones. Master Drallig said that it was the most surefire way to avoid mistakes and to learn restraint," Garen said a little sheepishly, rubbing his head, "We try not to go so hard on each other when we spar, but one of us always ends up with a burn or two."

"Ah, so that's why you've been getting better," Obi-Wan teased, "You've been practicing with Rhys!"

"Only when she's at the Temple," Garen groused as the two exited the Training Room for lunch, "I actually see Bant and Siri the most, but Bant doesn't like sparring, and Siri's…. well, you know how she-"

"Garen Muln if you even think about finishing that sentence, I'm gonna-" The voice of Siri Tachi was cut off as her two friends enveloped her in a large hug. All three were laughing as they separated.

"So what's this I hear about Rhys in the Healer's Wing?" Siri asked, "I just got back."

Garen and Obi-Wan immediately sobered, but related the story – as much as they knew, anyway – to their younger friend as they collected their lunch. Siri was quite helpful in creating a plan to sneak into the hospital wing under Y'Chiryō's and Vokara Che's noses. By the time the three padawans finished they had a foolproof plan – or, so they thought.

* * *

"No! For the last time, no!"

All three padawans were soon sprawling on the floor outside the main entrance to the Healing Halls. Y'Chiryō stood above them, hands on his hips.

"I should have guessed that you three would be trying something!" the Mirialan scolded them relentlessly. Obi-Wan had the good grace to look the tiniest bit chastened, but Garen and Siri did no such thing. The Master Healer could already see the wheels spinning in their heads to create another attempt. "If even one of you is in here for the tiniest second, you all run around like mad krayt dragons!"

He fixed them all with a stare and an accusing finger, "If I see any of you three in the next two days, I will _personally_ notify your Masters that you have been preventing the Healers from doing their jobs!" And with that, he closed the doors.

"Well…" Garen trailed off as he picked himself up, "Bang goes that theory. Does anyone have another plan without getting busted by Master Grumpy Healer? I'm a little out of ideas at the moment."

Obi-Wan shook his head in defeat – it had been his idea to try and distract Y'Chiryō while the other two opened the locked escape hatch in Y'Chiryō's office. Naturally, his distraction had failed, and they had all wound up getting thrown out of the Healing Halls by their ears. Siri was suspiciously quiet for a moment, then smiled evilly.

"Boys…. You may not like it, but I think I have a plan…"

* * *

"I fail to see how this is going to get us into the Healer's Wing!"

"Um…. I agree with Obi-Wan. How is this going to get us in to see Rhys?"

The two boys had patiently followed Siri around for an hour as she mentally formed a plan and muttered it to herself. Once she was finished "planning" Siri had directed them into the Training Room for a bit of sparring. Obi-Wan and Garen protested loudly at this, as they had already sparred before lunch.

"Will you two be quiet!" she hissed, "Do you want to see Rhys or not?"

"Of course!"

"Do you have to even ask that question?"

Siri rolled her eyes, "Fine, but I expect a thank-you when I get us past Y'Chiryō."

"Okay, so what's your plan?" Obi-Wan asked, genuinely curious.

To his great surprise, Siri leaned closer to him and batted her eyelashes, "I guess you'll have to find out, Kenobi." She then walked away in the direction of the sparring mats, blonde hair swinging.

Once she was out of earshot, Obi-Wan beckoned to his friend. "What…. was that?" he whispered. Garen shook his head in bewilderment.

"I have no idea…. Girls get scary when they're older. Come on, we better follow before she does it again."

"Ah… good plan."

Siri was waiting for them on the sparring mats, already changed into her workout clothes. Seeing the boys hesitate as they stepped towards the mats she rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, you two clawmice!"

"You still haven't told us the plan, Siri," Obi-Wan reminded her as they stripped off their outer tunics.

"You're about to find out," Siri said enthusiastically, beckoning to Garen, "Come here, you laserbrain and witness my genius."

Garen, rightly cautious, hedged towards his blonde friend standing in the center of the training mat. She was holding out her right hand, palm up, as if she was waiting for him to put something in her hand. Garen glanced around to see if no one else was looking (the Training Room was blissfully empty) and placed his own hand on top of Siri's.

For a second, nothing happened. In a flash, an evil grin spread across Siri's face as she smoothly put Garen's hand in a finger lock and flipped him to the ground in a single motion, dislocating his shoulder in the process.

"Siri!" Obi-Wan cried out in shock as he knelt over his friend on the floor, eyeing Garen's limp arm, "What the kriff did you do that for?!"

"One, I needed to practice… _disarming_ someone, and Garen seemed to be the perfect choice. Two, Garen's shoulder pops out really easy – he does it all the time. Three, we need to get into the Healer's Wing, right? And now we have an excuse." Siri said, rather calmly as she walked closer to the cussing Garen.

As Obi-Wan mulled over her words, he couldn't deny the certain logic. It was absolutely mad, but brilliant. There was just one problem, "Are you sure Y'Chiryō's going to let us in there when he sees it's just Garen's shoulder? He could always just pop Garen's shoulder back in outside and send us on our way."

"Hmm… you're right," Siri's brow lowered in thought, "Someone else might have to be healed too."

 _Oh… not good…_ Obi-Wan thought as he felt Siri's gaze fall upon him. _Definitely not good…_

* * *

"Are you sure he's going to buy it?" Obi-Wan asked, gritting his teeth in pain.

"Of course," Siri said, far too cheerfully in Obi-Wan's opinion, "Now, be quiet, he's coming to the doors!"

Obi-Wan resisted the urge to put a hand to his cheek to stop some of the bleeding. Their official story was going to be that after being rejected by Y'Chiryō, Garen and Obi had fought in a hand-to-hand sparring session. Apparently, Obi-Wan had _accidently_ dislocated Garen's shoulder, and Garen had _accidently_ landed a hit across Obi-Wan's right cheekbone. Siri had even made them punch the sandbags lying around the empty Training Room to "make it more realistic", simulating the redness on their knuckles that they would usually get in a hand-to-hand spar.

"I thought I told you three not to see me for two more days!" The Healer shouted before catching sight of Obi-Wan's cheek and Garen's shoulder, "Fine, you can all come in," he exclaimed, exasperated, "Quickly, quickly!"

The three friends shared a silent cheer as Y'Chiryō led them into the main Hall of Healing and directing Obi-Wan and Garen to chairs. Once Garen's shoulder was back in its socket and Obi-Wan had a large bacta patch over his check, Y'Chiryō rounded on Siri.

"How did this happen?" the Mirialan asked coolly. Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile with respect for his friend as she spun their tale without stuttering under the stern Healer's gaze. Once she was finished Y'Chiryō shook his head and walked to the door.

"Ten minutes," he said, meeting their eyes, "Down the hall, last one on the right."

The three padawans gave a not-so-silent cheer as he left the room, bolting down the hall in their joy. They found the Healing Hall she was in soon enough – and were shocked when they opened the door to find Bant sitting at Rhys' bedside.

"Oh, hi!" the Mon Calamari girl said as she turned to face her three dumbstruck friends, "I was just about to send for you – Master Yoda thought it would be best if Rhys woke up to her friends and not just her Master."

"Are you kidding me?!" Garen hissed, not wanting to attract a Healer's attention, "Siri pulled my arm out of the socket for nothing!"

"Siri… did what…?" Bant asked quizzically, trying to make heads and tails of the trio of arguing padawans in front of her. Realizing that this was a fight she wasn't going to win, the apprentice Healer sighed – some things just never changed.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

 **Thanks to** **Robinbird79** **,** **CardiacCane** **,** **ColdOnePaul** **, and** **palermoj** **for your reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, but I sometimes like to pretend I do…. Hooray for automatic doors making you feel like a Jedi!**

* * *

Rhys awoke to familiar voices bickering. She couldn't see them, but she could definitely sense their owners nearby. Since her Master had helped her reconnect to the Force, her senses had been diminished to the level of a youngling. Rhys could no longer separate individual Force-signatures, or recognize their owners.

"Hush, you three!" The bickering voices immediately stopped and Rhys felt their collective presences move closer.

Rhys struggled to open her eyes – her body was sore and stiff from lying in the same position for several hours. At first, she was blinded by the light and had to blink furiously for several moments before she could truly see.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," the auburn-haired boy to her left said. _Obi-Wan_ , her mind supplied. She gazed at the others around her. _Siri, Garen, and Bant_ – she remembered them.

"How long have I been in here?" Rhys asked, voice hoarse from disuse.

"Since you came back from Karavin – about twenty-eight hours by my reckoning," Garen offered, "How's the head?"

Rhys winced as a lance of pain ripped through her mind, then abruptly vanished. Her memories were now mostly intact, but her mental shields were in tatters. _I'm probably projecting to the whole room,_ Rhys thought, a little embarrassed. Her friends merely smiled as they heard her thoughts through the Force.

"It's getting there," she said as another blade of pain struck her. This one didn't entirely fade away, but stayed as a vigilant presence in the back of her mind.

"We'll be back to visit you and catch up after dinner," Siri said, standing up from where she crouched at the foot of the bed, "Y'Chiryō's gonna have a fit if we stay any longer. Do you want anything from the refectory?"

Rhys nodded her head, staving off pain, "I would fight another Sith Lord right now for a couple of Nubian pears."

"Done!"

* * *

When the four friends got down to the refectory, Garen was the first to grab a tray of food. Filling a plate with several Nubian pears, he thrust the plate into Bant's hands.

"Why do I have to carry it?" the Mon Calamari girl protested.

"Because the Healers like you," Siri replied matter-of-factly. Bant rolled her eyes and headed back up to the Healer's Wing with the fruit-laden tray for Rhys.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Master Che would have let us in there," Obi-Wan mused out loud as he collected his meal.

"Yeah, and then she would have given us one of her lectures!" Garen rejoined, shuddering slightly. The stern Master Healer was almost as notorious as Y'Chiryō for giving lectures to unwanted intruders. "Count me out of that!"

As soon as all three padawans had collected their food, they split to sit with their respective Masters. Qui-Gon said nothing as his eyes roved over the large bacta patch on his padawan's face. Obi-Wan tried his best to hide the flush of embarrassment that was creeping up his neck, but to no avail.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Obi-Wan?"

"Uh… well… Garen and I really did spar…" Then, a little quieter, "Then we got to see Rhys in the Healer's Wing…"

Qui-Gon cocked an eyebrow, "And how, pray tell, did you get past my friend Y'Chiryō?" Obi-Wan's face flushed even more.

"It was Siri's idea…"

Qui-Gon bit back a laugh, "The first or second time?"

"Second…"

"And who was it that had the bright idea to distract the Master Healer while his friends tried to break into the locked escape hatch?"

"Garen helped…"

Qui-Gon couldn't hold back his stern façade any longer, easing a pent-up chuckle. Obi-Wan jumped at the sudden sound and looked at his Master in mortification. Qui-Gon, seeing the look on his padawan's face placed a hand on the boy's shoulders.

"I'm not mad, Obi-Wan, understand?" he asked, "Y'Chiryō told me everything. Next time this happens – and I'm sure that there will be a next time – try to be a little more subtle. You also need to work on masking your emotions a bit better. I could sense your guilt from across the room."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied, thoroughly humbled.

"Good," Qui-Gon said as he stood up from their table, "I think we now have the subject for today's lesson." Obi-Wan couldn't hide his groan as he followed his Master out of the refectory.

* * *

The Dark Side of the Force clouds everything, Master Yoda thought as the Council continued to debate around him. They were meeting in an old Archive room, surrounding the remains of the Sith holocron that Master Maw had brought back from Karavin. The black and red pyramid now resembled a twisted piece of charred scrap from the heat of Maw's lightsaber.

"We must go back to Karavin to determine if there are more of them!" Mace Windu exclaimed over the voices of the others.

"We cannot send more Jedi into direct confrontation with the Sith if there is still one on Karavin!" Adi Gallia countered. The Tholothian Master was providing a staunch opposition to Windu's argument, refusing to endanger more Jedi after Master Maw and Padawan Talik were attacked.

"After two thousand years we are on the brink of erasing all traces of the Sith! We should act now before it corrupts the planet more!"

Yoda held up a hand from peace, silencing the two Masters. "Ignored, this threat should not be, but endanger more lives, we should not. Nearly killed, my padawan was, by the lingering hate of the Sith." The ancient Master turned to Windu, "Investigate the Temple on Karavin, you may. Take Master Maw with you, you must, to be your guide."

"I will inform him of our decision," Mace said, bowing slightly and leaving the room. Sensing that the session was now over, the other Councilmembers left the Archives. Yoda stayed behind to study the twisted metal of the holocron.

Master Maw had told him what had appeared – the floating specter of what he believed to be Darth Bane, the Sith Lord who had instituted the Rule of Two. It was not unheard of for powerful Force-sensitives to preserve a small part of their life-force in holocrons to teach future generations, but this holocron was something more. Malicious energy oozed from it, saturating the very air that surrounded it.

His padawan had been lucky to escape with her life and sanity intact. Countless other Jedi had been driven mad by mere visions of the Dark Side of the Force. The ancient Master checked on his now-sleeping apprentice through their greatly weakened Force-bond. The traumatized padawan had not yet fully opened herself back to the Force, and her mental shields were virtually nonexistent.

Master Yoda sighed – much training, young Talik still had.

* * *

A week after the disastrous events on Karavin, Rhys was cleared by Master Vokara Che to leave the Healer's Wing. She was still incredibly weak from the mental attacks, and often suffered from severe headaches and seizures that could render her motionless.

"Calm your mind, you must, Padawan," Master Yoda said to her after a particularly debilitating episode that had left her on the floor of their rooms, "Feel the Force around you, you must."

"How can I feel the Force when all it does is cause me pain?" Rhys cried as she pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Thinking too much, you are," Yoda said, pointing his gimer stick in her direction.

"I'm not trying to think! I just – I can't do it! I've tried so many times, and all it does is leave me lying on the floor!"

"Try, you cannot. Do or do not," the ancient Master said sagely.

"I can't do it anymore!" she cried, "I can't even lift a pebble now – how do you expect me to meditate without having another seizure?"

"Padawan!" Yoda barked, fixing his apprentice with his gaze, "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering – walk this path, you cannot, or else fall to the Dark Side."

"What good is a Jedi that can't use the Force?" Rhys said bitterly, before angrily striding out of their rooms.

Master Yoda sighed as he watched his apprentice flee, attempting to mask her pain of not being able to use the Force. Her fear and grief overwhelmed any other thought in her mind, spilling through her cracked shields.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

 **Funny story for today… I was in my history class today when the topic of Star Wars came up. I'm a huge nerd, so I stayed fairly quiet to avoid the upcoming can of worms. Cue brainless history major who starts bashing incorrect Star Wars lore. When he finally finished his rant (I'm literally trying not to burst at this time) everyone is pretty much shocked into silence at his blatant ignorance.**

 **Me: "Dude... I don't know what you've been watching but it sure wasn't Star Wars." (Half of his theories sounded like they were the lovechild of Star Trek and Lord of the Rings)**

 **Ignoramus: *proceeds to tell me how stupid I am for liking Star Wars and how smart he is for telling me so* (By now the class – and me – are out for blood. Cue awesome Star Wars comeback….)**

 **Me: "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent. Now get out of here. I find your lack of faith disturbing."**

 **I kid you not, the entire class stood up and began applauding! It was perfect….. It was perfection. And now Ignoramus looks at me with fear of the Star Wars Gods in his eyes…. Mwah ha ha ha!**

 **That is all! Disclaimer: Don't own Star Wars…. Never have, never will…..**

* * *

Obi-Wan watched from a distance as Rhys stormed out of the rooms she shared with her Master, her emotions raging through the Force. Grief and pain saturated the space around her, then was abruptly cut off as she hid her Force presence.

Worried for his friend, Obi-Wan followed at a safe distance. He followed her through empty classrooms and dimly lit hallways through the Temple until Rhys stopped in front of a thick door and slipped through it. Once he was sure that she wouldn't sense him, Obi-Wan followed after her.

Obi-Wan gave himself a mental slap as soon as he got a good look at his surroundings once he went through the door. _Why did she have to go on the roof?_ he mentally berated himself as he walked as close to the walls as he could, skirting the nearby ledge.

"Leave me alone, Obi," Rhys said, sitting down on the ledge and turning her back to him.

"What are you doing up here, Rhys?" Obi-Wan asked, stepping away from the wall a bit. He looked over at the steep drop-off – one slip and he could be plummeting to his death several stories below. Even with his enhanced abilities, a fall would mean certain death from this height.

Rhys was quiet for a little while, then spoke softly, "I found the door a few years ago when I got lost on accident. It's a good thinking spot. Nothing around you but the sound of speeder traffic and the open air."

Obi-Wan steeled himself and inched over to the ledge, sitting next to Rhys. "You know I didn't mean that. Why are you up here, Rhys?"

"I'm thinking, obviously, which I could probably do better without you here," she said pointedly, closing her eyes. Both padawans were silent for several minutes before Obi-Wan spoke hesitantly.

"I…. saw you leave your Master," Rhys' shoulders seemed to slump at his words, "Are you two… you know… okay?"

Rhys sighed heavily, "I'm not sure… I just don't feel like I can be the Jedi Grandmaster's padawan if I can't even use the Force better than a youngling! I'm a disappointment to my Master, I could feel it! If I left, he would have a better padawan, one that listens, and meditates, and- and isn't broken!"

Obi-Wan was stung by the sudden pain in her voice as her longing for the Force echoed around him. He placed an arm around his friend and let her lean into him as she cried silently.

"You're not broken," he said gently, "You're not broken…" They stayed there for a while, watching the speeders and air-trams whiz past as the setting sun illuminated the thick clouds of smoke in the atmosphere. Rhys sat up, wiping the tears from her face.

"Thanks, Obi," she said, her voice shaking a bit, "I think I really needed that." Obi-Wan nodded in reply, and they fell into companionable silence again until he spoke quietly.

"I once left the Jedi Order, you know." Rhys whipped her head around to stare at him. Obi-Wan gave a quick chuckle when he saw her shocked face, "It's true, I did, for a little while when me and Qui-Gon were on a mission. We were sent to rescue Master Tahl on Melida/Daan."

"What happened?" Rhys inquired, looking back over the Coruscant traffic. Obi-Wan took a deep breath and continued.

"The Melida and Daan people had been in a civil war for generations, killing their planet and their people. Qui-Gon and I were sent to rescue Master Tahl when her attempts at negotiations failed, but we fell in with a group called The Young. The Young were a group of children fighting for peace on their planet, and I thought that I could help them – and myself – by leaving Qui-Gon behind. We won, but whenever I look back on it now, I can't help but think that I made a horrible mistake by ever leaving. If I hadn't…. maybe some people would still be alive…"

"Don't blame yourself, Obi-Wan," Rhys said, laying a comforting hand on his arm.

"I did blame myself for a long time," he admitted, "But now I know that the Force works in mysterious ways. Sometimes things are meant to happen, and we can either fight the Force or accept it."

Rhys smiled a little, "That's good. Did you think of that yourself?"

"I'm a little hurt that you even have to ask that," he said, placing a hand on his chest in mock-offense, "But no, I didn't. Qui-Gon says it so much that it might as well be engraved on my forehead by now."

"I know what you mean," Rhys sympathized as she remembered the things Master Yoda said to her all the time, especially _'Patience, Padawan.'_ They were quiet once more until Rhys lay back on the roof and sighed.

"I'm going to have to apologize to my Master, aren't I?"

"That would probably be good," Obi-Wan said wryly with a smirk, then kindly, "We should probably get back."

"Yeah…" Rhys said as Obi-Wan helped her up. She took one last look at the blazing sunset, then followed her friend back inside the Temple.

* * *

"Returned, you have, Padawan?"

Master Yoda was sitting in the same place he had been when Rhys had left, cross-legged on the floor. The ancient Master rose to face his Padawan.

"Yes, Master," Rhys said bowing her head, "I've been stupid, and selfish, and I didn't listen to you when you tried to tell me that. I've had my eyes opened, and I'd like to keep trying."

"Found yourself, you did?" Yoda asked his humbled padawan. She nodded.

"I know what I have to do. I was just afraid that I couldn't be strong enough… that I wasn't good enough to be your padawan." Rhys thought back on all the times that she had felt unworthy of her Master, the constant drive to do better, to _be_ better–

"Padawan!" Yoda barked, jolting Rhys from her thoughts. His gaze softened as she knelt to his level, "Angry with you, I am not. Natural, these feelings are, but control them you must. Fear yourself, you cannot."

"I… want to keep trying, Master," she said, nodding, "I don't want the visions to control me and my actions."

"Good," Yoda croaked, smiling proudly at his apprentice. "Help you, I will, to overcome them. More still, have you to learn about the ways of the Force." Without warning, the grizzled old Jedi thrust his gimer across his padawan's knees. Rhys – unsuccessfully – tried to dodge the blow.

"Ow!" she cried rubbing her knee where the tough wood had made contact, "What was that for!?"

"Learn to sense it coming, you must," Yoda said making his way to the door, "Until then, train we will. Come, Padawan."

Rhys couldn't contain her smile at the familiar words as she followed her Master.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

 **Hello humans! Many, many thanks to** **CardiacCane** **,** **palermoj** **, and** **ColdOnePaul** **for your reviews! No docket today, thankfully. If you have any questions, feel free to message me! Trust me, I don't bite, but I have been known to bark at squirrels and chase cats….**

 **And without further ado, to the chapter! Disclaimer: Although the Gods of Star Wars to deign to visit me occasionally, I do not own the wonderful universe of Star Wars!**

* * *

 _"I… want to keep trying, Master," she said, nodding, "I don't want the visions to control me and my actions."_

 _"Good," Yoda croaked, smiling proudly at his apprentice. "Help you, I will, to overcome them. More still, have you to learn about the ways of the Force." Without warning, the grizzled old Jedi thrust his gimer across his padawan's knees. Rhys – unsuccessfully – tried to dodge the blow._

 _"Ow!" she cried rubbing her knee where the tough wood had made contact, "What was that for!?"_

 _"Learn to sense it coming, you must," Yoda said making his way to the door, "Until then, train we will. Come, Padawan."_

 _Rhys couldn't contain her smile at the familiar words as she followed her Master._

* * *

 _One year later…_

"Concentrate, you must, Padawan."

Master Yoda sat opposite his padawan as she attempted to levitate several stones in the air at once. The maneuver was by no means advanced, but after a year of honing her strength Rhys was able to use the Force to some degree without suffering massive mental aftershocks. The fourteen-year-old padawan had spent countless hours of meditation and training with her Master to reach that goal.

"Good…. Let the Force flow through you."

Rhys closed her eyes and let her mind open to the river of the Force. Her mental prowess was far beyond what it had been a year previously, but not yet to its original state. Some scars would never truly heal while others faded away. She had learned through lengthy trial and error that the path to healing was often slow and tedious, and couldn't be rushed in any form.

"Now let it go, slowly…" Rhys tapered off the stream of the Force, lowering the stones to their original resting places. Once all of the stones were motionless, Rhys allowed herself to open her eyes. Yoda smiled proudly at her.

"Far, you have come, Padawan."

"There was no pain this time!" Rhys remarked, giving a small smile. Yoda nodded serenely.

"Progressing greatly, you are. Ready for more, I think, hrmm?"

Rhys stared at her Master quizzically, "Like what?"

"Time to visit the Council, it is."

* * *

"Padawan Talik, your abilities have improved greatly over the past year," Mace Windu stated as Rhys stood in front of the Council, "We believe that you should resume your Shadow training with Master Maw and Padawan Damsin."

"Thank you, Masters," Rhys said, bowing slightly.

"We also believe that you are long overdue for a mission," Windu said, gazing intently at the padawan, "Master Yoda suggested that you be sent because of your familiarity with the family involved and your knowledge of their planet."

Rhys tried to repress a mental groan. _Not Mygeeto again_ , she thought, remembering the mission she and Depa Billaba had been assigned to protect the irritable senator that required them to be in close contact with him for several months on the cold urban planet of Mygeeto. _Anything but Senator Maven…_

"The Council has decided to send you and Padawan Kenobi on a joint mission to Naboo to provide protective detail for one of King Veruna's aides that has received several threats over the past few weeks. You will leave after Padawan Kenobi is briefed. More information will be sent to your datapad. May the Force be with you."

"Yes, Masters," Rhys replied, bowing quickly to hide her surprise at being sent to her home world. It was rare for a Jedi to be sent on a mission to their home planets, but not entirely unheard of. Sensing the dismissal, she quickly exited the Council chambers. To her surprise, Obi-Wan was waiting outside.

The seventeen-year-old padawan had grown tall and lanky over the past year, nearly catching up to Qui-Gon's immense height and towering over the rest of his friends. In all the times she had seen him in the past year, Rhys had never seen him more nervous. Clearly, this was to be his first mission without the companionship of his Master.

"Good luck," she said as she passed him. He gave a nervous nod, straightening his tunic before entering the Council Chambers.

Rhys couldn't stop the shocked gasp that escaped her when she read the datapad left for her by the Council. Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie…. Their two daughters Sola and Padmé… faces that she saw every year on her birthday over holos. For the first time in the six years since she became Master Yoda's padawan, she would finally see her parents and sisters face-to-face on her beautiful home world. Her thoughts were interrupted by a call on her comm unit.

"Talik," she answered.

"You knew about the mission and you didn't tell me?" Obi-Wan asked frantically. Rhys smiled at the mental image of her friend pacing around his room as he flung things into a travelling bag.

"Obi-Wan, you already know the answer to that question," she reminded him as she began packing the small bag she used for missions, "It was better that the Council brief you with the full information rather than me tell you with only part of it."

"I know," he admitted, "But it would have made me feel better. I was scared for my life going before the Council for who-knows-what!"

"Don't center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan," she chided mirthfully. Qui-Gon often reminded his apprentice to focus on the present and not on worries about the future. Needless to say, the rest of Obi-Wan's friends had also picked up on the phrase.

"Not you too!" Obi-Wan groaned. Rhys chuckled.

"Meet me in the hanger in twenty minutes," she said, stowing her datapad in her bag. She had one more stop to make before she left…

* * *

"Master?"

Master Yoda opened his eyes to see his padawan sitting before him. She was dressed in a standard gray tunic favored by many padawans, her thick, dark hair tamed into a bun laced with braids on her neck.

"Prepared, you are, for the mission?" Rhys nodded in agreement, then gazed at him intently.

"This is a test, isn't it, Master?" she asked bluntly. Yoda sighed heavily.

"Perceptive, you are, Padawan," he replied, "Correct, you are." Rhys' shoulders seemed to be relieved of a heavy weight.

"And Obi-Wan, are they testing him too?"

Yoda thought serenely for a while before answering, "Concerned about attachment, the Council is. Wish to test you, they do."

"I understand, Master," she answered fervently, standing up, "I won't fail you."

"May the Force be with you, Padawan," Yoda said, bowing his head.

"May the Force be with you, Master," Rhys replied, grabbing her bag, "I'll contact you after we speak with the King."

* * *

"Please tell me that we're not flying _this_ to Naboo."

Rhys grinned at Obi-Wan staring at the beat-up freighter in front of them. The gray ship in question was a small Corellian light freighter that was one of the few ships in the Jedi Fleet casually labelled for "nondescript transport". Named the _StarRover_ by previous Jedi, the battered ship had quickly became one of Rhys' favorite ships to use on missions and to tinker with during her spare time. In the past year, she had made special modifications to the _StarRover_ that made it faster, more agile, and easier to pilot than others of its kind.

" _We're_ not," she happily corrected, " _I'm_ flying this to Naboo. You don't even have to copilot if you don't want to. Now hurry up!"

Rhys could hear Obi-Wan grumbling as she ran up the ship's ramp. After hastily throwing her bag in the passenger's bay, she ran up to the cockpit and brought the _Rover_ to life. After nearly a decade of Jedi missions, the _StarRover_ had seen a lot of wear and tear, but was still as reliable as the day it was made. Smiling at the smooth purr of the engine, she ran through all of the pre-flight checks and brought the ship out of the main hangar with ease. Obi-Wan looked around in amazement as he sat down in the copilot's seat.

"How many modifications does this ship have?!" he asked incredulously. Rhys smiled and shrugged.

"A fair few, but most weren't made by me."

"And how many _illegal_ modifications does this ship have?" Obi-Wan teased in reply. Rhys stuck her tongue out.

"A fair few, I'd expect. This used to be a smuggling ship, you know, and smugglers are rather fond of making their own modifications." Obi-Wan merely rolled his eyes and set the coordinates for the jump to lightspeed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

 **Hello people! Many thanks to the new reviews and followers that have come in the past week – it means the world to know that your brainchildren are loved! Small docket, mostly to answer questions and comments in reviews.**

 **.D: Thanks for your support and reviews! I hope you continue to follow!**

 **dreamerdreamer: Yes, I am an extreme Star Wars nerd…. I'm pretty sure that I don't go a single day without listening to the soundtrack or watching part of the movies! My family thinks that I'm insane, but you should really see the lengths they go to for soccer. When my mother asks me to participate in sports, my only answer is that this is my sport!**

 **StormSkye: Yay indeed…. Fortunately, your question is answered in the chapter, so keep reading!**

 **Robinbird79: In a way, I guess that the Council could be concerned about both. They do tend to be overly concerned about a Jedi's attachments in life… As a bit of personal preaching, it's one of the few things that I disagree with the Jedi about, so that sentiment will probably make itself known later.**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I owned Star Wars…. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Those of us that wish are only slaves to the great and powerful Disney…**

* * *

As soon as she met the recently elected King of Naboo, Rhys knew she didn't like him. Ars Veruna was far older than the usual age of the Naboo royalty, and had all the styled cordiality of a practiced politician. Rhys suppressed a smirk as she felt Obi-Wan's feelings of distaste and annoyance flit through the Force. Her friend had a great dislike of most politicians.

"Your Majesty," Rhys greeted with a small bow, "We are honored by your presence." The King had unexpectedly allowed them to land in his private hangar and greeted the two padawans as soon as they disembarked the StarRover. He was accompanied by several guards, stewards, and his head of security, Captain Maris Magneta.

"We thank you for your swiftness, Master Jedi's," Veruna said, allowing the two padawans to fall into step beside him, "I believe that the situation has become more serious than when we first requested your… investigative services."

Obi-Wan and Rhys glanced at each other. "How so, Your Majesty, if I may ask?" Obi-Wan inquired, folding his hands in front of him.

"There was an attack on my aide, Ruwee Naberrie, and his family earlier today. No one was hurt, thank goodness, but we feel as if the family may need more protection," Veruna said as the entourage moved through the ornate palace halls, "Ruwee and his family have been good friends to me – I would hate to see them come to any harm."

"We will do our best to find the culprit, Your Majesty," Rhys promised, inclining her head slightly.

"Wonderful," Veruna replied, "I shall have a shuttle take you to the Naberrie home in the Lake Country. Since the attack this morning, the family and their estate have kept themselves there."

The King moved on, ordering a young guard to escort the two Jedi to the Naberrie home and provide them with an easy link to the palace, should they wish it. Rhys understood the underlying message: Ars Veruna trusted them no more than any other politician did. The guard, a young man named Kit Barra, was rather naïve when it came to the world of politics and fiercely loyal to the crown.

Once Veruna had left, Kit escorted them to a poshly furnished shuttle, talking the entire way about his experience as a guard in the palace. Rhys gleaned several bit of information from his good-natured rambles: One, the King had greatly expanded the planet's military; Two, Veruna was rumored to have ties to Hego Damask and the Trade Federation, the former head of several companies supposedly supplied Veruna with credits and favors; and Three, Ruwee Naberrie was Veruna's main aide that accompanied him to events, business deals, and even military meetings. Rhys could see how her father could be the target of several groups, but she didn't yet understand why.

As Kit rambled on, Rhys took the opportunity to send a quick data-message to her Master, notifying him and the Council that they had landed on Naboo and spoke with the King. She also added that communications might be difficult due to the presence of Veruna's security force.

When they finally arrived at the Naberrie home, Rhys was hesitant to knock on the elegantly carved door. Obi-Wan noticed her discomfort and sent a wave of reassurance through the Force.

 **What if they don't recognize me?** Rhys sent mentally, not wanting to alert Kit to her relation to the Naberrie's. Obi-Wan couldn't repress his eye roll entirely.

 **Don't center on your anxieties, Rhys,** he replied, then kinder, **I'm sure they do – you said that your mother still holos you on your birthday. I'm willing to bet that they'll know straight off.**

 **You're probably right,** she admitted, **What are we going to do about Kit?**

 **Leave that to me,** Obi-Wan answered.

"Mr. Barra, we'd appreciate if you would perform a sweep of the shuttle and entrance for any sort of listening or monitoring device that looks out of place. We'll contact you when we finish talking to the family," Obi-Wan said, gesturing to the large gate we had just come through. Kit looked a little put-out, but hurried off to the shuttle.

"Apparently some of Qui-Gon's manipulation had rubbed off on you," Rhys teased. Obi-Wan merely scoffed and rapped his knuckles on the wood.

Several moments later, Rhys' heart stopped as a middle-aged woman opened the door hesitantly. She shared many of her daughter's features: thick, curly brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, and a confident gaze. Jobal Naberrie was rendered speechless as she realized who stood at her door.

"Mrs. Naberrie?" Obi-Wan questioned, "I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is my fellow padawan, Rhys Talik."

"I know who you are," Jobal replied, voice shaking slightly, "Come in, quickly!" The two padawans hastened to obey. As soon as they were inside the house, Jobal let out a cry of happiness and engulfed her daughter in a huge embrace.

"Ruwee!" she cried, tears streaming down her face, "Sola, Padmé! Your sister is home!"

A thunder of footsteps echoed throughout the house. A man Obi-Wan assumed to be Ruwee appeared first, standing dumbstruck in the doorway as soon as he caught sight of his wife and eldest daughter. He joined the embrace, running across the room to meet them. A little girl bearing a remarkable resemblance to Rhys that was no more than six was next to appear, darting over to hug her family. Another girl stuck her face in the doorway, but stormed off angrily and disappeared upstairs.

"You didn't tell me you were coming!" Jobal exclaimed, breaking up the hug.

"There wasn't time," Rhys said, glowing with happiness. Her face fell when she realized that a family member was missing, "Where's Sola?" Jobal's face grew pained at the mention of her second daughter.

"It doesn't matter now, what matters is that you're home for now," Jobal said, placing her hands on her daughter's face, "For the first time in six years, we are all going to eat together – as a family."

Rhys cocked an eyebrow mischievously, "Obi-Wan too?"

* * *

Darth Sidious stood beside his Master as the two Sith Lords gazed out over the planet of Naboo from space. His home planet looked peaceful from above, peaceful before the coming storm.

"The Jedi were not meant to come in to play so soon," Darth Plagueis snarled. Sidious didn't even bat an eye at his Master's words. Plagueis' intricate Plan was well thought out, but his apprentice knew it far better. It was Sidious who understood every convoluted detail, every backup plan, and every contingency. It was also Sidious who placed the idea into the fool Veruna's head about calling in the Jedi about the mysterious assassin. Plagueis didn't know it, but the Plan was sure to end in his inevitable death.

The involvement of the Jedi would only bring about his Master's death faster, Sidious reasoned. Everyone knew that Hego Damask was corrupt and conniving, but few knew that Damask was a lie. A carefully constructed lie, but a lie nevertheless to hide Plagueis behind a mask. Sidious was still unsuspected as Ambassador Sheev Palpatine, and would never be with his determination to leave no witnesses.

"Is the Plan ruined then, Master?" Sidious asked, reveling in the fact that this newest wrinkle in his Master's plan was caused by him.

"Hardly," Plagueis scoffed, turning away from the window, "It is merely a setback. The invasion will have to wait until after Veruna is dead and the Jedi are unsuspecting once again."

Sidious smiled inwardly – yes, the plan would be set back for a few years, but that gave him more time to kill his Master, Veruna, and mold his public image into the trustworthy public servant. It also gave him more time to observe the Talik girl and possibly befriend her. If Maul didn't survive the training process, she could serve as a suitable replacement. True, she had been damaged in the past, but her rage and pain could easily be used to sway her. How great could Sidious be with her raw power at his side?

The prophecy of the Chosen One came to mind – one conceived through the will of the Force that would have the power to balance the Light and Dark sides of the Force. It had taken time, but Sidious let nothing stand in his way to gather the necessary information he desired.

He had found that Jobal Naberrie, due to a childhood illness, would not likely be able to conceive any children. Yet after five years of marriage, Rhys Talik Naberrie was born to the couple with an extremely high Force-sensitivity. The second and third daughters were marginally gifted with the Force, but not enough that they could possibly be trained as Jedi. Sidious would often like to muse to himself that he had found the Chosen One outside of his Master's "all-seeing" gaze. The thought gave him much pleasure as he dreamed of overthrowing Darth Plagueis.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

 **A little side note that I forgot to mention in last chapter's note – my regular updating schedule will be interrupted for the weekend, as I am going on my long-overdue senior trip to California! Nott's Berry Farm, Medieval Times, Huntington Beach, and Universal Studios! I'm a little excited… In any case, I'm going to try and work on the chapters over the plane ride, but I probably won't be able to post them until I return sometime in the next week**.

* * *

"Mom, we're here to protect you! I can't do my job unless you tell me what happened!"

After a large dinner prepared by Jobal and ruthless interrogation about life at the Temple, Rhys finally got her parents to speak about what had happened during the attack that morning. Ruwee sighed heavily, but acknowledged his daughter's request.

"There was an assassin droid sent to the house in Theed. No one was home, and one of the groundskeepers saw before it took off. I don't see why one little instance could be worth an entire investigation!"

"Dad, that's why Obi-Wan and I are here! To protect you and find out who's behind all this!" Rhys cried, "There are more than enough people with a motive to kill you, and enough of those have the funds to commission a bounty hunter or assassin droid. I'm not going to risk the lives of my family just because you are unwilling to recognize that you're in danger!"

The entire room was in shock at Rhys' outburst. Obi-Wan cleared his throat noisily, drawing everyone's attention in his direction.

"If I may, Mr. Naberrie, Rhys does have a point. We will try to be very discreet in our investigation and try not to bring any more attention to you or your family," he said calmly. Ruwee nodded slowly, then gazed tenderly at his eldest daughter.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Rhys," he said softly, reaching across the table to touch her hand, "I would consider it my fault if–"

"Don't," Rhys interrupted him, "I've gone through much worse. I've been trained to handle myself as a Jedi, and am probably more competent than most of the King's bodyguards."

"We worry, dear," Jobal said.

"I know, but it's what I do and who I am," Rhys replied, "I wouldn't give up my life as a Jedi for anything." Rhys' six-year-old sister, Padmé, chose that exact moment to tip over her glass, sending a wave of water spilling over the table. Before it could get far, however, Rhys held out her hand, using the Force to collect the water back in an empty cup. The Naberrie's gaped in awe.

"How do you do that?" Padmé asked, eyes wide.

Rhys grinned, "The Force works in mysterious ways, little sister."

Rhys collapsed, exhausted into an armchair. Jobal and Ruwee had talked to her well after Sola and Padmé had gone to bed. She had talked to Sola briefly, but it had involved much yelling from Sola and much pleading from Rhys. Obi-Wan joined her in the sitting room once he had finished sweeping the house. Kit had been dismissed for the night, firmly vowing that he would be back in the morning.

"How was talking to Sola?" Obi-Wan asked, sitting down on the couch opposite her. Rhys groaned and rubbed her face in frustration.

"She… blames me for leaving her. We were very close as children, and I guess she never forgave me for placing the Jedi above our family," Rhys explained sadly.

"She'll come around in time," Obi-Wan reassured her. Rhys rubbed her temples wearily with the tips of her fingers – she was definitely feeling the after-effects of using the Force to probe the house and surrounding grounds for malevolent devices and beings. Thankfully, there was nothing, but it left her strength deeply affected.

"I certainly hope so," Rhys said, sighing, "I'll take first watch if you'd like."

"Alright," Obi-Wan replied, standing up, "But I'm going to claim your bed while you're down here."

"You wouldn't dare!" Rhys gasped. Obi-Wan grinned mischievously and disappeared up the stairs to Rhys' room. She rolled her eyes at her friend's antics and settled herself on the couch. It was going to be a long night.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully by. Rhys let herself revel in the clean, cool, air of the Naboo Lake Country. About halfway through the night, she quietly crept up the stairs. Memories flashed inside her head as she crept along the path to her old bedroom that her parents had kept pristine since she had left.

Obi-Wan was softly snoring, splayed wildly across the pillows and blankets. His auburn hair was mussed as he nuzzled a pillow in his sleep. Rhys wasn't surprised to see him in this state – she remembered the countless times she and Bant had woken up Obi-Wan and Garen before dawn to go swimming in the lake. Both boys weren't fond of early mornings, and often required more… extreme methods to wake them up.

"Obi… Obi, wake up," Rhys crooned softly, shaking him a little bit. Obi-Wan merely mumbled something and rolled over. After a few more attempts of the nice way, Rhys put her hands on her hips and stood back, smirking, "Okay, you asked for it." In one quick movement, she bounded across the floor and landed on top of the sleeping padawan.

"Ouch! Kriff- Rhys! Stop it! No!" He squealed as she tickled him mercilessly.

"Stop yelling, you nerfherder!" she hissed as she clambered off of him. Obi-Wan sat up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and then shot her a dirty glare before heading to the refresher. As soon the door was closed, Rhys changed into her sleeping pants and tank top before leaping into the warm bed. When Obi-Wan came out all dressed, he gave her another glare.

"I hope it's warm enough for you," he said saccharinely before sneaking down the stairs to run a sweep of the house. Rhys grinned smugly as she closed her eyes.

* * *

"Rhys….. Rhys, wake up…."

A tiny finger poked Rhys' face, jerking her awake. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Rhys saw the innocent face of Padmé peering over the side of the bed.

"What is it, Padmé?" she asked, checking her chrono sleepily.

"Well…. Mama and Papa have stuff to do, and Sola didn't want to, so…. Could you take me to the waterfalls today?" Padmé asked, brown eyes trained hopefully at her older sister. Rhys seemed to think about it for a moment, then smiled at her sister.

"I don't see why not," she finally said. Padmé grinned, exposing pearly teeth, then dashed out of the room.

"I'll go pack a picnic!" she squealed as she barreled down the stairs, almost knocking Obi-Wan off his feet. Obi-Wan looked confused as he peeked his head inside the bedroom.

"What's this about a picnic?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I agreed to take Padmé to see the waterfalls," Rhys confessed as she got out of the plushy bed, "I couldn't say no to those cute little eyes!"

Obi-Wan chuckled, "Alright, then. Get dressed and come down – your mother made breakfast."

Rhys hurried to put on her grey tunic and tame her hair into its usual bun and braids at the nape of her neck. She took a little while to examine her reflection in the mirror, and how much she resembled her mother and sisters. All three possessed the same dark, curly hair, full lips, heart-shaped face, and deep brown eyes that Rhys found in herself. Pulling on her belt and boots, Rhys headed down to the kitchen.

Padmé was still giggling happily as she roamed around the room, collecting several food items and placing them in a small basket. Jobal smiled happily at her youngest daughter as she cut up fruit, pausing her task to hug her eldest daughter.

"Good morning, everyone!" Ruwee said joyfully, giving his wife a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning, dear," Jobal replied, handing him a portion of fresh bread and fruit. He accepted it gratefully, then sat down at the large dining table. The rest of the family - excluding Sola - sat down beside him and began eating.

While the family ate, Obi-Wan and Rhys told the family how security would be arranged during the next few days. The two Jedi explained how they were not to leave the house unaccompanied, as there was still a possibility of a threat. Ruwee and Jobal protested, but eventually caved to their daughter's insistence.

"Can we go now?" Padmé pleaded, tugging on Rhys' arm once she had finished her breakfast.

"Patience, young one," Rhys said, eyes twinkling as she said the words her Master often repeated to her. Obi-Wan grinned as he recognized the phrase.

"I think you've gained a new padawan, _Master_ Talik," he teased. Rhys smirked as she stood up, Padmé's basket hanging from her arm.

"Of course, _Master_ Kenobi!" she exclaimed proudly, "Padawans – and sisters – exist to be corrupted!" Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at his friend as she escorted Padmé out the back door to the gardens.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

 **Hello everybody! I know that I said that I wouldn't be updating until I got back from my trip, but I had quite a bit of free time today on account of UEA weekend here in the States, so I thought I'd write more chapters. Thanks you, awesome reviewers and followers! My views have certainly spiked in the past few days alone! Small docket today, and here it is!**

 **ColdOnePaul:** **I'm going to try and stick to Star Wars canon as much as I can (with a few changes, obviously) but I haven't completely mapped the story yet, so we'll see where it goes.**

 **Speaking of what is and isn't canon, I've recently got into The Force Unleashed – Starkiller is frickin' awesome! I may or may not try to fit him in somehow… he seems like a really cool character with endless possibilities.**

 **Anyway, here the disclaimer: I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food… wait, wrong one! I don't own Star Wars!**

* * *

Rhys smiled as Padmé bounded through the open fields ahead of her. Peaceful shaaks were scattered through the long grasses, grazing in herds. The waterfalls in the distance were beautiful, their sound echoing across the lush valley.

"Padmé, don't go too far ahead," Rhys warned, spreading a blanket and settling herself in the shade of a large shade that had a good vantage point of the entire meadow.

"I won't!" she replied, scampering off to a pocket of wildflowers. Rhys took a deep breath, savoring the sweet, unpolluted air. Naboo was a temperate world – certainly warmer than Coruscant – and Rhys loved the comfort that it brought her to be back in a warm environment. Still keeping her senses focused on Padmé, Rhys slipped into an easy meditation.

Much like the swamp world of Dagobah, Naboo teemed with life. The Force had a purity to it here, untainted by pollution and needless destruction. Rhys could feel everything connected through the Force – the birds flying above, the shaaks grazing, the tree beside her, even Padmé running back with a handful of blossoming wildflowers. The little girl's pale blue dress billowed around her as she leaped through the grass.

"They're beautiful," Rhys complimented as Padmé eagerly showed her the flowers. Padmé smiled at her sister, exposing pearly teeth. The two sisters ate their packed lunch, then lay down in the blanket, looking up at the sky.

"Rhys," Padmé asked, "What's it like, being a Jedi?"

"Well, I don't really have anything else to compare it to," she confessed, "It's just a part of my life. It would be like me asking you what it's like to go to school." Padmé made a face.

"School's boring," she grumbled, "I want to go to other places." Rhys laughed as she realized her own sense of adventure in her younger sister. She could remember as a child when she would look up at the stars and imagine herself travelling the galaxy.

"You will," Rhys promised, "I'm sure of it. You're only six now – you still have plenty of time to find your path." Padmé snuggled closer to her sister, fingering the edge of Rhys' brown robes.

"Do you like being a Jedi?" Padmé asked after a little while. Rhys sighed heavily.

"Most days, yes," she answered truthfully, "I don't always agree with the Council or their decisions, but I have to trust in the will of the Force. There were some days that I wished to leave the Jedi Order, but now I don't think that I could ever just leave it all behind."

"Oh," Padmé said softly, then again curiously, "What's the Force?"

Rhys had to hold in a chuckle as she saw her own curiosity reflected back at her. She tried – in clearer speech – to convey what Master Yoda had taught her about the Force, about midichlorians and their symbiotic presence in all living things. She showed Padmé how she could lift objects into the air, gaining an amazed reaction from the six-year-old. She then proceeded to tell her little sister about a Jedi's responsibility to use the Force to promote peace in the Republic for all.

Padmé was silent when she finished talking, awestruck. "Can I be a Jedi too?" she asked enthusiastically.

"No," Rhys replied, laying a hand on her arm, "But I wouldn't want you to be, anyway. You're very special, Padmé, I can feel it. You're meant for other things."

* * *

Rhys carried Padmé back to the house when she fell asleep, made drowsy by the food and warm sun. It was well into the afternoon when they returned, and the rest of the family had begun preparing for the evening meal. Ruwee took his sleeping daughter from Rhys' arms to lay her down in her bed.

"How was it?" Obi-Wan asked, pulling her into the front room to talk.

"Nothing happened, other than I had to keep Padmé from riding a shaak," she reported, her mind conjuring the image of Padmé trying to run away from her, squealing as she was chased.

Obi-Wan shook his head, a small smile on his face, "Nothing here other than your sister glaring at me occasionally. Kit and his security team assured me that they swept the outside of the house, but I'm not sure how competent they are." Rhys nodded in reply.

"I'll make sure to double-check when I'm on watch tonight," she promised, walking back into the kitchen to help her mother with dinner.

After a good meal, the rest of the family went to bed. Obi-Wan soon joined them as soon as he finished talking to the outside guards about their security measures. Rhys was walking through the house when she felt a faint warning through the Force. Heeding the thought, she followed it to her parent's room. She probed the room with her senses, but could sense nothing but Ruwee and Jobal sleeping peacefully. Still wary, she left the room and returned to patrolling the hall.

As soon as she reached the stairs to return downstairs, she sensed immediate danger and sprinted down the hall. She burst through the door to her parent's room, revealing a sinister looking assassin droid hovering above the bed, preparing to drop several detonation charges. She used the Force to quickly push the charges out of the open balcony doors, barely missing the droid as it turned in her direction. Ruwee and Jobal quickly awoke to the noise of the droid shooting at the young Jedi.

Rhys easily deflected the blaster bolts with her twin sabers, sending them back in the direction they came from. Obi-Wan soon joined her, his blue lightsaber illuminating the room.

 **I'm going after the droid,** she sent to Obi-Wan. She felt the quick affirmation before he returned to focusing on protecting the Naberrie's from the blaster shots. Without any further warning, Rhys sprinted at the droid that was now hovering over the open balcony. It made a squeal of surprise and unsuccessfully tried to escape, but couldn't move fast enough to avoid a leap from the Jedi.

"Rhys!" Obi-Wan shouted as her momentum pushed the droid out into the open air.

As Rhys' hands caught on the top of the hovering assassin droid, both went over the side of the balcony. The droid managed to keep itself afloat, but then set to ridding itself of the clinging Jedi by dipping low over the nearby lake and attempting to shake her off. Rhys hung on for dear life, digging into a control panel on the side of the droid to expose wires and relays. She began desperately pulling at the wires, tearing out chunks of machinery until the droid began to lose altitude.

The droid tried a last-ditch effort to move the Jedi, but had no luck. With its power slowly dying, the droid surrendered and maneuvered towards the beach, dropping like a stone as soon as it was above the sand. Rhys swung herself out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by the falling assassin droid as it crashed into the ground.

 _"Are you okay? I saw you crash on the beach,"_ Obi-Wan's voice filtered through the comm as Rhys dusted the sand off of her tunic from her impromptu landing.

"I'm fine," she replied, "How is everyone?"

 _"A little shaken, but they'll be fine. Your mother is worried about you. I just sent Kit and his officers out to retrieve you and the droid. They should be there in an hour or so. It might take them a little bit longer to find you since you crashed on the far side of the lake."_

"I'm sure it won't help that it's still dark. Thanks," she said, tucking the commlink back into her belt. She walked down to the remains of the crashed droid, trying to see if she could find an identifying mark of some kind. When she found nothing, she set to collecting fallen bits of the droid that were scattered across the beach. True to Obi-Wan's word, Kit and several uniformed security officers arrived at the beach in a small transport.

"Are you alright, Master Jedi?" Kit asked, concern etched across his face. Rhys waved him off.

"I'm fine, just a few scratches," she assured him. They stood together gazing at the remains of the assassin droid.

"What do you want us to do with it?" Kit asked after a while, "It'll take us a good amount of time to search for all of the pieces in the dark, but dawn is only a few hours away. Would you to wait for the light?"

"No, we need to get a good look at it as soon as possible. We'll take it back to the house, for now," Rhys said, stepping closer to the droid, "I can probably disable the tracking mechanism here, then whoever sent it won't be able to find its remains. Do you think that your men can lift it into the truck?"

"We'll see," Kit answered, then ordered the officers to lift the main body of the droid into the back of the transport. After Rhys disabled the tracking device from the head of the droid, the officers clustered around the droid body and lifted it, struggling to get it up the sandy slopes. They managed to do so with great difficulty, finally getting it up the beach and into the truck. Rhys followed behind them, using the Force to recover all of the fallen pieces scattered across the stretch of sand. The men gaped at her as all of the pieces gently placed themselves in the back of the transport, moving at her direction.

Kit and the officers seemed to be more wary of her as they rode back to the Naberrie house. Not a word was spoken, but Rhys knew that she had scared them with her casual use of the Force to achieve a task. The Jedi were generally viewed as great warriors and peacekeepers, but many beings still thought of them as sorcerers or magicians which led to a lot of conflict and apprehension.

Obi-Wan was waiting for Rhys when she returned to the Naberrie house. His face was stoic, as usual, but there was something undercurrent. He waited until the droid was safely stowed in an unused gardening shed before he rounded on Rhys.

"That was reckless, and you know it," he said under his breath as the guards returned to their posts.

"I know, I know," she said, sitting down on a bench, "I was only thinking about the mission – if the droid was destroyed, we could have lost some pretty important evidence," she shrugged, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Obi-Wan sighed and sat down beside her, "Just promise me that you won't jump out of any more windows, please? I thought that your mother was going to kill me for letting you go after that droid."

"I promise, Obi, I won't be going on droid-rides anytime soon."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

 **May I just say this… Starkiller is awesome! I need one, I need one now! Perhaps you have noticed that in my daily browsing of YouTube I have the glorious dual-saber wielding Starkiller. He is glorious…. Just let me bask in his amazingness a little longer…. Moving on-**

 **Disclaimer: Own Star Wars, I do not. Sad, I am, that the will of the Force, it was not.**

* * *

Darth Sidious sat alone in his office, poring over the last bits of information gathered from the assassin droid he sent to the Naberrie home. The droid was not meant to succeed – it was merely a test to evaluate the Talik girl's skills. She had succeeded, of course, but there were several things that concerned him. Firstly, her willingness to protect her family. This could prove to be a breaking point in the future, but could also be something to push her too far.

The second problem Darth Sidious discovered was her complete faithfulness and dedication to the Jedi Order… to her _duty_. Like the Kenobi boy, she also put her mission before her feelings and family. It was irritating to say the least.

King Veruna was a pawn, but even pawns can recognize when their lives are in danger from a higher piece. The greedy fool had surely suspected by now that his deal with the dark lords was at a critical point and had interpreted the Sith's message correctly. Unfortunately, Darth Plagueis had already laid claim to Veruna's life, swearing to end him personally. He wouldn't die for several more years, according to the Plan, but it was entertaining to imagine various grisly scenarios.

A hologram appeared on Sidious' desk, drawing him away from his thoughts. "What is your bidding, my Master," he said, bowing as he addressed the holographic form of Darth Plagueis.

"When are the Jedi leaving the planet?" the elderly Muun snarled.

"Today, my lord," Sidious reported, "The aide, Ruwee Naberrie, elected to resign from his post yesterday in light of the attacks on his family. The attacks have stopped, and so the Jedi are no longer needed."

"Very good," Plagueis mused, "Veruna will need another aide, one far more easily manipulated. Contact me as soon as the Jedi are off-planet. I need to pay a visit to Veruna… advise him on his next move. The Trade Federation must be assured of their victory."

"Yes, Master," Sidious replied as the hologram fizzled out. He looked back over at his view of the planet. Rhys Talik may have passed this test, but there were far more to come if she was to be molded into a true Sith Lord.

* * *

"Do you really have to go?" Padmé pleaded as Rhys packed her travel bag. Rhys knelt beside her sister, placing her hands on the six-year-old's shoulders.

"I've been here for two weeks, Padmé," she gently reminded, "The family is safe, and I'm no longer needed here. I have to do my duty as a Jedi – I hope that you understand that."

Padmé hugged her older sister tightly, "I'll miss you, Rhys!"

"I'll miss you too," Rhys replied, "But you know that you can always send me data messages. I'll always answer you, I promise."

Padmé wiped the tears from her face as she pulled away, "Okay…"

Rhys smiled as she touched Padmé's cheek, "May the Force be with you, Padmé."

The two sisters headed down the stairs hand-in-hand. Obi-Wan was standing by the door, already packed and ready. Kit Barra was standing near him, discussing the continued security of the Naberrie family when the two Jedi left. Ruwee pulled his eldest daughter aside as she entered the front room.

"I would like to give you an expression of my thanks," he said softly. Rhys stopped him with a hand.

"Whatever you're about to offer, you know that I have to refuse it," she said bluntly, "A Jedi doesn't have many possessions."

"I know," he replied, "That's why I've decided to put it under the name of the Jedi Temple. When I was made an aide to King Veruna, I was given an apartment on Coruscant to use as I pleased when I had to travel. Since I'm no longer the King's aide, I have no further need of it. Your mother suggested that I turn it over for you to use whenever you wish."

"Where is the apartment located?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's in 500 Republica, but it's one of the smaller apartments…" Ruwee said, wringing is hands nervously, "Do you think that you could use it?"

"If it's under the name of the Temple, that means that it's open for all Jedi to use when I'm not," she stated, "But I guess that it wouldn't hurt to have a place away from the Temple." Rhys hugged her father. "Thank you…"

"Be safe, Rhys."

"I'll try."

* * *

After a tearful goodbye, the _StarRover_ left palace hangar. As soon as the _Rover_ entered hyperspace, Rhys went to her cabin to contact her Master. The last time she had contacted him was to convey the events of their first week in Naboo. Other than the assassin droid attack, there had been no other incidents until her father resigned his post as the King's aide.

Both Obi-Wan and Rhys had dissected the remains of the assassin droid, searching for some form of identification of who was behind the threats. There had been nothing, ending the Jedi's investigation. King Veruna had tried to assure the two padawans that nothing else would happen and that the crisis had passed, but Rhys still felt uneasy, convincing Obi-Wan to stay a few days longer than they had originally planned.

"Returning, you are, from Naboo?" Master Yoda asked as his form came into view.

"Yes, Master," she replied.

"Unsure, you are, of the King's decision, Padawan," Yoda stated, seeing through his padawan's mask of stoicism, "Trust him, you do not, hrmm?"

Rhys was quiet for a little while. Due to her Jedi Shadow training, she found it very difficult to trust wholly. Veruna had struck her as a greedy, power-hungry politician, and she did not doubt that he was somehow involved in the threats. There was no proof, however, and so Rhys' suspicions remained her own.

"No, Master, I don't," she admitted.

"Investigate him, we cannot," Yoda confided in his apprentice, "Too protected, he is. Surrounded himself with lies and politics, he has. Untouchable, he seems to be."

"So we're just going to let him go?" Rhys asked hotly. Her parents could have been killed because of him! What if he tried to go after the Naberrie's again?

"At the head of this, Veruna is not," Yoda said gently, "Meditate on this, I will."

"Yes, Master," Rhys replied sullenly.

* * *

Obi-Wan and Rhys stood in front of the Council, giving their report of the events on Naboo. Master Windu looked a little annoyed at the mention of Rhys jumping on the assassin droid, but no other emotion was shown.

"Thank you, Padawan Kenobi and Padawan Talik. May the Force be with you," Windu said, dismissing the two padawans. Both bowed to the circle of Masters, then headed for the doors.

"A moment, Padawan Talik," Ki-Adi-Mundi called out almost as soon as Rhys reached the doors. Obi-Wan gave her a comforting smile before shutting the door behind him.

"Yes, Masters?" she asked, confused about why they would still want to talk with her.

"Tested, you were," Yoda stated, placing his hands on his gimer stick, "On your dedication to duty."

"Concerning your attachment to your family…" Master Windu said gravely, "The Council has determined that you have passed the test we have set before you." Rhys breathed a sigh of relief. "However, there is still the matter of your father's apartment in 500 Republica."

"I told him that if the apartment was under the Temple's name, all Jedi could have access to it if they wished," Rhys replied coolly, "I make no claim to it." The Council was quiet for a few moments, holding a mental debate. Finally Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke, nodding his head sagely.

"Very well," he responded, "As long as it is open to all Jedi, there will be no problem. However, should someone wish to use it, they will ask you and the Council beforehand."

"Thank you, Masters," Rhys said, relieved. She was glad that her father's gift wouldn't be wasted.

"That will be all, Padawan Talik," Windu said, the dismissal clear in his voice. Rhys bowed once more and left the Council Chambers. Obi-Wan was still waiting for her outside when she emerged.

"What happened?" he asked, concern etched on his features.

"I passed the Council's test," she said softly, almost not believing that she had done so, "They're letting me keep the apartment, as long as others can use it as well."

"That's great, Rhys!" Obi-Wan cried as they stepped into the elevator. They were both quiet for some time until Obi-Wan spoke again. "For my first solo mission, it didn't go all that badly. Usually the missions are never that smooth." Rhys laughed – that much was true. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had a nasty habit of attracting trouble wherever they went, making their missions very difficult sometimes.

"Who knows?" she quipped drily, "Maybe this will set a trend!"


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 **Hello! Since one of my longer time-skips is coming up in the next chapter, I decided to do this short(ish?) chapter as a series of data messages between Rhys, Padmé, and a few other characters if I like it. I've decided to time-stamp them for accuracy reasons, beginning sometime after 40 BBY (about a year after the last chapter's events). Enjoy!**

* * *

39.3 BBY

Recipient: Jedi Padawan Rhys Talik

Location: Jedi Temple, Coruscant

Rhys,

I'm sorry that it took so long for me to write back. You'll never guess what happened – I know that you and Mom don't approve of me going into public service, but my school is sending several of us to Shadda-Bi-Boran to help with relief efforts. Their sun is imploding, and the planet will die within a matter of months. The Borans could die if we don't relocate them! I'll only be there for a few months, and I promise to be safe!

Dad got a new job teaching a politics and public relations class at the University in Theed, so we live in the Theed house almost all the time now. I miss the house in Varykino a lot, but I know that it's best for everyone to be in the Capitol.

Since you left, Sola has gotten a little bit better. She still completely ignores everyone if anyone makes a mention of you, so we usually wait until she's gone to bed to talk. Dad thinks that she'll come around eventually, but he said that we need to be patient and have diplomacy. Diplomacy is hard when you're trying to negotiate with family….

Anyway, how are you? Are you going on a mission any time soon? Dad wanted me to ask how you liked the apartment. Mom wanted me to ask about Obi-Wan – she says he's too skinny and needs to eat more if he wants to get any more meat on him. Mom said it, not me. They also asked me to put in a bunch of others, but I kind of ignored them. Write me soon!

Love, Padmé

* * *

38.6 BBY

Recipient: Padmé Naberrie

Location: Shadda-Bi-Boran

I think it's a great idea for you to go to Shadda-Bi-Boran (don't tell Mom that…)! I wish you all the luck in the world, even though I'm on the opposite end of the galaxy. Be safe, have fun, and learn all you can if that's the path you want to take. I won't try to keep you from choosing – if the Force wills it to be, then it will happen.

Tell Dad that the apartment is perfect. After I got back to the Temple, Obi-Wan and a few of my friends helped me gut it to make it more to a Jedi's standard. Don't worry, we didn't break anything… yet. A lot my friend's Masters use it as a private training facility (we converted one of the bigger rooms into a training area) so my schedule is always full. I hope that the novelty wears off soon – I keep getting messages from Jedi wanting to see it.

I told Obi-Wan what Mom said – he laughed really, really loud. Siri punched him to make him stop. Ironically, Qui-Gon used to say the same thing when Obi-Wan became his padawan several years ago. He actually used to make Obi-Wan take extra portions whenever they were back at the Temple, but he hasn't done it for a while. They're both on a mission with Garen and his Master negotiating a trade agreement on an Outer Rim mining colony. Obi-Wan gets way too excited about negotiating…. To be honest I'm more of a talk less, listen more type of Jedi.

On the subject of Sola, I think Dad is right. It'll take some time, but she'll get over it – especially if I stay away for a little while. I don't know if I'll be able to visit anytime soon… I'm very busy with Shadow training, missions, and classes at the Temple. I'll try to send messages and holos whenever I can, but I'm preparing for an undercover mission to recover stolen artifacts. I can't tell you what I'm looking for or where I'm going, but I'm telling you so that you won't worry when I don't reply. May the Force be with you.

Rhys

* * *

38.1 BBY

Recipient: Jedi Padawan Rhys Talik

Location: ?

I understand that you can't always be with us – it's just that Mom and Dad worry a lot about us both. I'll be returning to Naboo in a few days. I've decided to join the Youth Legislative Program. After Shadda-Bi-Boran, I realized that I could really make a difference in the galaxy by helping people. My friend Palo is there too, but I think he's doing it more to please his father. He makes the most amazing drawings of birds…

I'm sure that you're probably aware, but things aren't right on Naboo. King Veruna has created a large military – more that I believe that Naboo could ever need. I believe that he intends to dig in against the large Trade Federation on account of his many disagreements with them. Maybe it's just my new involvement in politics, but I've become more and more outspoken about this issue.

Do you remember that guard that protected us while you were here – Kit Barra? Well, he's married now, and resigned his post in the palace. Father offered him a job to work for the University training new security officers. He comes to visit us every so often, and he and his wife are expecting their first baby by the end of the year! Sola has taken a liking to him coming around, but I think that she just likes his younger brother, Darred.

Mom and Dad send their love and want you to be safe.

Love, Padmé

* * *

36.8 BBY

Recipient: Padmé Naberrie

Location: Theed, Naboo

Sorry for the delay – missions don't always go as planned, especially Jedi Shadow missions. I actually damaged one of my lightsabers on my undercover mission, so it took me a little while to fix it. Who knew that a direct hit from an electro-staff can short out the wiring?

Pass along my congratulations to Kit and his wife. I'm sure that their baby is absolutely adorable. You're not alone in trying to deal with a love-struck youngling – Obi-Wan keeps making puppy eyes at Siri when he thinks that no one is looking. You'd think that for a twenty-year-old padawan he would have a bit more sense, but it doesn't seem like it. I can only hope that Siri lets him down easy or else Bant and I will have to bring him back to the real world. I think you might have it easier dealing with a love-struck Sola than a sullen Obi-Wan.

As for the events on Naboo, I can only keep my political opinion to myself. We Jedi try to keep ourselves outside the world of politics as much as possible. I would say to talk to Obi-Wan about politics (he understands it far better than I do) but I'm afraid that he's… occupied… at the moment.

I'm back at the Temple for now, but I'll let you know as soon as I have to leave again. Currently, my Master has set me to teaching Jar'Kai tactics to a rowdy bunch of younglings that are more likely to spear themselves with their second lightsaber than their opponent. Many don't realize it, but it's much more difficult to handle two lightsaber than one. When I asked my Master why he had assigned me this, he said that he wouldn't want Master Keelyvine teaching the class. Apparently, I am much more approachable than Master Keelyvine, far less stern, and much more willing to repeat difficult maneuvers. I think that it's just another attempt by my Master to try and ingrain more patience in me. So far, I don't believe that it is working – all it does is make me meditate more to avoid losing my temper, so I suppose he can claim some small success.

Tell Mom and Dad that I can't always be safe – I'm a Jedi, and it's my job to risk my life to protect others. I know that they worry, but can you use your newfound diplomacy skills to make them see reason? Force knows that my idea of diplomacy involves "aggressive negotiations" with a lightsaber. May the Force be with you, Padmé.

Rhys


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

 **Hello all! California was amazing! Love, love, love, LOVE Universal Studio's new Harry Potter attraction! I'll have you know that I love Harry Potter almost as much as I love Star Wars… almost, but not quite there. Sorry, J.K. Rowling! Anyway, quick note about this chapter before the docket – This chapter begins sometime in 35 BBY, which is about five years after Chapter 24 and three years before the Battle of Naboo in 32 BBY. I try very hard to be precise on timing, so if you see any discrepancies, please shoot me a mail so I can fix it to the best of my ability! Here's the docket….**

 **ColdOnePaul** **: Yes, I do plan for Rhys to stick around for a while** **. I may not have the entire story mapped out, but I do have a plan and several headcanons bouncing around in my brain. Glad you liked the scenes with Padmé!**

 **RobinBird79** **: I may or may not have written that scene with future comments/ribbing in mind. Glad you caught it!**

 **Thank you to all of my new followers over the week! Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own the wonderful universe of Star Wars. I do, however, use it as my playground.**

* * *

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

Rhys smiled as she heard Obi-Wan's voice over the comm unit. The nineteen-year-old padawan looked out of the corner of her cockpit to see Obi-Wan's red Starfighter maneuver out of the way from several blaster shots.

"I bet you're wishing that you were back on that freighter with Qui-Gon, huh Obi?"

Obi-Wan snorted as he pulled out of a roll, _"_ I'm only thankful that Qui-Gon isn't piloting that freighter. I've been on too many missions where his piloting skills end up with us crash-landing on some Force-forsaken planet!"

Rhys stifled a snicker. The mission they had been assigned was to investigate a series of pirate attacks on a well-traveled hyperspace route. After speaking to the governments of nearby planets, Qui-Gon had determined that the pirate's base was located on the asteroid city of Nar Oto in the Kuat system. Naturally, he decided to spring a trap in the process.

"Three…. Two…. One…" Rhys counted under her breath. She had been on enough missions with Obi-Wan to know that he hated flying, and would vehemently swear-

"Blast it! Flying's for droids!"

 _There it is_ , she thought as she swerved around an asteroid. The two Jedi had to be extremely wary of the asteroids – many of them were filled with buzz droids that could attach to their ships and ravage them to the wiring. Her teal Starfighter was incredibly agile under the command of heightened Jedi senses.

"Obi-Wan, you have a few vulture droids coming your way," Rhys said calmly as she blasted the vulture droids aimed at her ship.

"Thanks," Obi-Wan replied as he blasted them to pieces, "I've got my sights set on the base. Do you think Ivrek will be there?"

"I certainly hope so," Rhys growled as she sighted the pirate base. The smuggler lord Lam Ivrek had been a thorn in her side for the past two years, popping up in the strangest places then disappearing without a trace as soon as she started to chase after him. Rhys had long suspected that the Corellian smuggler was being paid to follow her, but by whom? Yes, she had made several enemies during her Shadow missions, but most were part of the criminal underworld and rarely showed themselves.

"Obi-Wan, Rhys, find a way to take out the base's shields. I've sent KSF Blue in your direction." Qui-Gon commanded from the Kuat Security Force freighter. The Kuati government were adamant in their campaign to eradicate pirates from their space and had sent some of their military best to serve under the Jedi.

"Yes, Master," the padawans replied as they circled the asteroid city.

"KSF Blue, sound off," Rhys said as six Kuati Starfighters formed up behind the two Jedi.

"Blue Leader, standing by."

"Blue Two, standing by."

"Blue Three, standing by."

"Blue Four, standing by."

"Blue Five, standing by."

"Blue Six, standing by."

Rhys grinned – it wasn't every day a nineteen-year-old girl got to command a squad of highly trained fighter pilots. "Blue Leader, Two, and Three with me – Four, Five, and Six will answer to Commander Kenobi." The squad affirmed the orders, then split to follow their respective commanders.

"The shield generators are located on the underside of the asteroid," Obi-Wan reported. Rhys could see the glowing blue towers protruding from the otherwise rocky underside of Nar Oto. "I'm going to make a run – Four, on my wing, Five and Six cover from above."

Rhys watched as Obi-Wan made a run at the shield generators, blowing them to pieces with a few accurate blasts of his cannon. "Good shot, Commander Kenobi," she congratulated him as he reformed with the rest of the squad.

"Thank you, Commander Talik," he replied proudly, then commed Qui-Gon, "Shields are down. You're free to land in the main hangar."

"Good work, padawans," Qui-Gon said. Rhys watched the freighter make its way to the main hangar near the center of the asteroid cluster. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted something that made her snap to attention – a heavily modified silver smuggling freighter docked in a small, almost hidden hangar.

"Master, there's another hangar," Rhys reported, "It could be used for an escape attempt."

"Good eye, Rhys. Take Obi-Wan and KSF Blue with you. We'll head them off from this end, and make sure that the KSF knows that we are here to capture, not kill."

"Yes, Master," Rhys replied, then relayed Qui-Gon's instructions to the others. After instructing Five and Six to fly around the hangar, the two Jedi and remaining fighters landed in the hangar. As soon as Rhys landed, she jumped over to the silver smuggler in the hangar.

"What is it, Rhys?" Obi-Wan asked as he jumped out of his Starfighter.

"He's here," she growled in response, "This is Ivrek's ship."

Obi-Wan groaned, "Well that's just wonderful. Should we start sweeping the area for our slippery friend?"

Rhys shook her head, "No, he's too crafty for that. We'll leave the KSF troops here to guard the hangar and detain anyone who tries to leave." Obi-Wan sighed.

"Does that mean we're going pirate hunting?"

Rhys grinned, "C'mon, Obi, it'll be just like Cholganna!" Obi-Wan made a face of annoyance.

"You and I remember Cholganna very, very differently. If I recall correctly, it involved us getting chased up a giant tree by a pack of nexus!" Obi-Wan looked very annoyed now – he hated Cholganna and any mention of it, as that particular mission involved several of his least-favorite things: flying, crashing, nexus, attempting to track bounty hunters, and being rescued.

"No, I remember that, too," Rhys whispered as they crept down the empty hall, "I also recall you screaming like a little girl before I rescued you."

"That never happened!"

"Yes it did!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

The banter continued as they swept the abandoned halls for any sign of life, but the storerooms, sleeping quarters, and even the meeting rooms were all devoid of any being. The two padawans finally came upon a thick, reinforced door at the end of one of the hallways.

"It's locked from the inside," Obi-Wan said as he ran his hand over the front of the door, "Do you think we can get it?"

"If we work together, maybe," Rhys shrugged, "Might as well give it a try."

Obi-Wan looked at his friend with concern written on his face, "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Obi, I haven't had an aftershock in months," she said. She had grown much stronger through near-constant use of the Force, but still had crippling seizures if she drew upon too much of her own strength. Her senses, once weaker than a youngling's, had returned through much meditation and practice over the years.

"All right, then," he replied. On an unspoken signal, the two Jedi used their combined presence in the Force to seek out the locking mechanism on the other side of the door and unlock the door. The door itself was a much bigger problem: not only was it initially locked, it also retracted into the ceiling, requiring it to be lifted in the absence of a proper key.

With their combined strength, Rhys and Obi-Wan were able to lift the steel door and enter a small antechamber. Rhys could feel her limits coming closer, and began a sort of subconscious meditation to regain her lost strength. There was only a single door on the opposite end of the antechamber, and the Jedi took no time reaching it.

When Obi-Wan opened the door, Rhys almost lost her breath – standing in the room was the smuggler lord Lam Ivrek, and beside him was a cloaked figure with a sizzling red lightsaber.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

 **No reviews there are... how sad... Please review to make me happy!**

* * *

Blue and violet blades snapped to life as soon as the two Jedi padawans saw the blazing red blade of the Sith. Lam Ivrek attempted to sidestep the upcoming conflict, but shrank under the withering gaze of both sides. In one fluid motion, the Sith cast it's hood back, revealing the pale red face of a female Zeltron.

"I knew that you would come," she hissed, red blade twitching angrily, "I knew that _he_ would lead you here."

Rhys' eyes snapped to the quivering form of Lam Ivrek. For the first time, she realized that Lam was never the mastermind behind all of his appearances over the past few years – this Sith warrior was. _I should have known,_ she mentally berated herself.

"Uh… milady… I hate to interrupt," Ivrek said hastily, raising his hands in the air, "But I've got a shipment leaving this place and a ship to be on-"

"You're going nowhere, smuggler," the Sith purred, leveling her lightsaber at the panicked human, "My Master instructed me to clean up all loose ends, and I'm afraid that means you." She pulled her saber back as Ivrek put his hands together entreatingly.

"Please… my lady Torra…. I've done everything you've asked!" he pled pathetically, sinking to his knees. Torra merely sneered in response. Rhys weighed her options quickly as she saw Ivrek's plight before her – on one hand, she could let the Sith dispatch him and be rid of the man responsible for several exposures on her missions, but she couldn't just let him be cut down in cold blood for making the wrong deal. As Torra raised an arm to strike him down, Rhys made her decision.

Rhys' twin sabers clashed violently against the Sith's red blade, blocking the cowering Ivrek from a fierce down stroke. Torra narrowed her yellow-streaked eyes and flipped to the other side of the room.

"Is that how you want it, Rhys Talik?" she hissed. Rhys showed no surprise that the Sith assassin knew her name. "You cannot hope to defend him and yourself!"

Rhys grinned as she sank into an easy "ready" stance, "Well, I do have some help," she replied as Obi-Wan joined her between Torra and Ivrek. The Sith seemed to weigh her chances against the two Jedi for a while, glancing between them with a little less of her former confidence.

"Catch me if you can, Jedi!" she said suddenly, pressing a button on her wristband. At her signal, several compartments in the walls opened, revealing more than a dozen armed pirates. Rhys caught a glimpse of Torra's black cloak as she slunk out the back door.

"We can't let her escape," Rhys said under her breath as more pirates filed into the room. Ivrek scrambled behind a large metal desk for protection from the upcoming firefight.

"I've got this," he offered, eyeing the pirates around them, "Go after her." Rhys gave a quick nod of agreement as the pirates opened fire. In a matter of seconds, she had made a clear path through the pirates to the back door. As the blast doors closed behind her, Rhys was alone in a dark hallway lit only by the glow of her violet lightsabers. Keeping her senses sharp, she slowly crept along the dark hallway.

"You Jedi are so weak," the Sith's voice hissed. Rhys whirled around, but saw nothing behind her. Torra laughed madly, her cackles echoing against the cold metal.

"You do not truly embrace the Force, like I have," Torra continued, her voice coming from all directions, "I accept the power that it brings me – I am free from the restrictions of the Jedi!" Rhys lunged at the source of the voice again, but hit only air.

"That is why…. You lose!" Rhys detected the presence of the Zeltron mere seconds before she struck, barely managing to block her fiery blade.

"There's a benefit to losing," Rhys said calmly as she stared at her opponent, "You get to learn from your mistakes." Torra screeched in anger and came at the padawan in a blaze of fury, pushing her into a large observation room.

Rhys scrambled to block the flurry of blows, but one got through and grazed her shoulder, leaving a long, painful burn. Torra, emboldened by her success, came at her again, using the Force to throw her across the room and into a control panel. Before Rhys had a chance to recover, Torra was upon her again, lifting her off the ground in a powerful Force-choke. Rhys struggled as a wave of visions swept over her.

 _A woman dressed in elegant clothes and white face paint laying her hand on a younger girl's shoulder with a smile on her face-_

 _"You turned her against me!"_

 _"You have done that yourself!"_

 _"I hate you!"_

 _Two Wookiees conversing with a dark-haired woman holding a young boy on her hip, gazing intently at a holo-map. White-uniformed soldiers patrolled vigilantly…_

 _An older Obi-Wan furiously fighting his way through a clump of battle-droids-_

 _"Master, there's no time!"_

 _"That's no moon… it's a space station…"_

 _"He's the brains, sweetheart!"_

 _A Jedi Master with purple lightsabers fighting alongside a young, dark-haired boy with a green blade against countless battle droids-_

 _"…Years ago you both served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire… I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it… This is our most desperate hour…"_

Rhys fought her way through the haze of visions and lack of oxygen, gaining control of her mind long enough to send a chair hurtling towards Torra. The impact surprised the Sith enough to cause her to lose her grip as she was knocked over. Rhys gasped, her lungs welcoming the intake of air as she regained her footing.

"You will pay for that, Jedi," Torra snarled as she fingered the blood trailing down from a large gash on her forehead, "I've toyed with you long enough – I'm going to kill you and everyone on this rock!"

Rhys merely ignited her lightsabers in response. With a howling war cry, Torra launched herself at the padawan, eyes flashing with a mad, power-crazed glint. Red and purple lightsabers clashed violently as the two fought across the room, demolishing tables, chairs, and control panels as they went. As they fought, Rhys allowed herself to sink further and further into the calming flow of the Force, repeating the Jedi Code in her mind:

 _There is no emotion, there is peace._

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._

 _There is no death, there is the Force._

In the expanse of a single moment that seemed to last forever, Rhys immersed herself in the river of the Force around her. The world around her became meaningless as all moved to the will of the Force. She could see energy moving around her, midichlorians inhabiting her body – even Torra's movements before she made them. In a single second, Rhys saw an opening in the Sith's defenses.

Her body's motion brought her mind back to the battle in front of her. Seizing the opportunity shown to her, Rhys brought her left saber up to bat aside Torra's red blade as her momentum drove the Sith forward. Her right lightsaber, free to move, drove up towards the Sith and embedded its blade in her exposed stomach.

Everything seemed to stop as Torra gaped at the padawan, shock and pain in her yellow eyes. Rhys removed her blade and the Sith crumpled to the floor. She stood over her vanquished opponent, pity on her face.

"There will be others," Torra rasped, placing a hand on top of her wound in an attempt to slow her death, "There will always be others... You have no idea how powerful he is…" She whimpered as the last bits of life began to leave her, "He'll never stop… we're all dead…"

"Who?" Rhys asked urgently, kneeling next to the dying assassin, "Who sent you?"

Torra grimaced painfully, attempting to speak, but was too late. Rhys felt as the remaining fragments of her life-force slipped away to join the never-ending stream of the Force.

As Rhys attempted to stand, all of the energy she had used through the course of the fight caught up to her. A huge wave of pain ripped through her mind and body, bringing her to her knees beside Torra's body as she clutched her head. More visions swept over her as her mind's barrier was overwhelmed. Countless voices and sights overcame her senses, driving her to unconsciousness.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

 **I may or may not have gone crazy on my trip... I'm ready to start The Phantom Menace after Chapter 31!**

* * *

"I think she went in here, Master Jedi," Ivrek's voice filtered through the haze of unconsciousness.

"Rhys!"

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help… I, uh-"

"Just go get Master Jinn in the main hangar, and hurry!" Obi-Wan knelt beside his friend as the smuggler rushed off. Once Qui-Gon had arrived with the rest of the KSF forces, the pirates had been easily captured. Obi-Wan had went looking for Rhys and the Sith assassin, leading him to the observation room where he found them both on the ground.

"Oh thank the Force!" he exclaimed as she opened her eyes groggily, "Are you hurt?"

"No," Rhys replied as Obi-Wan helped her into a sitting position, "It was just an aftershock. I'll be fine."

"What happened?" he asked, gesturing to Torra's limp body beside her. Rhys took a deep breath to steady herself as she recounted their battle. Obi-Wan's gaze travelled to the bruises on her neck when she finished – intentionally leaving out any mention of her visions. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the beeping of his communicator.

"Kenobi," he answered, calmly.

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon sounded relieved, "Did you find her?"

"Yes, Master, she's fine," Obi-Wan replied, "I sent Ivrek to find you, so be prepared."

"Ah… so that's why he came tearing into the hangar like a crazed mynock." Rhys chuckled at the image of the lanky smuggler panicking and running to Qui-Gon, "What about the assassin?"

"Dead," Rhys replied shortly. Obi-Wan stared at her curiously, then returned to the communicator.

"I'll bring her down to the hangar, Master," Obi-Wan stated despite Rhys' indignant cry. Qui-Gon made a quick noise of affirmation before turning off the comm unit.

"What do you mean, you'll bring me?" she asked angrily. Obi-Wan shrugged.

"Well… I'm not leaving you here, and you can't walk all the way there by yourself…" he trailed off, "And it's going to take us hours if you hobble, so…" Obi-Wan scooped her up into his arms without warning, ignoring her shout of protest, "This is the easiest way."

"This is not the easiest way," she retorted hotly, squirming a bit. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes as he carried her out into the hall, heading towards the main hangar.

"Like I said, you can't walk in this state, I'm not going to leave you here, and helping you to hobble will take a lifetime. Trust me when I say that this is easier," he said matter-of-factly.

"Easier for you, maybe," Rhys groused. They were silent for a few moments until Rhys spoke in an undertone, "Thank you."

Obi-Wan chuckled, shifting Rhys so her injured shoulder wasn't rubbing against his tunic, "How did those words taste coming out of your mouth?"

"Like the five-day-old blue milk Garen dared me to drink for fifty credits," she said sourly. Both of them laughed as they remembered the shared experience.

"Well, you're welcome," Obi-Wan said as they rounded the final corner before the hangar. Rhys cocked an eyebrow at him.

"No sarcasm, Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan grinned, "None whatsoever."

"I highly doubt that."

"Of course you do."

* * *

Darth Sidious began pacing his office after he read his spy's report. Torra was dead, and now his Master know that he was training potential apprentices.

Sidious growled as he threw the datapad across the room. This would put a wrench in his otherwise perfect plans. Although the Sith legacy expected the apprentice to betray his Master, Plagueis was not meant to know about his plans until he was well into the trap. Granted, Torra was never meant to become his apprentice – she had been skilled, but had never progressed in the way that Maul had. Maul was born to be a Sith – taking to the Dark Side like few ever could.

But all of that could change if the Talik girl was the Chosen One. Maul – with all his power and training – would be insignificant to the potential power she could have. She was one of the most powerful Force-sensitives he had ever found, and already possessed the necessary training to provide a good foundation. But how to throw Plagueis off the scent of the most powerful Force-sensitive he had found?

 _A distraction would be needed,_ Sidious mused as he continued to pace. Veruna could provide an ample distraction for the next year until his plan was in full effect. With all of Plagueis' resources focused against the fool Veruna, Sidious could operate safely from the shadows under the guise of doing his Master's bidding.

It was a trifling matter to Sidious that the Jedi suspected Sith activity – his own cover was secure, and Darth Plagueis' front of Hego Damask would soon be as dead as the Sith Lord. Torra served her purpose as a test to Talik and as bait to the Jedi Council.

Darth Sidious gave a twisted smile as his plans came together beautifully. _The galaxy is as good as mine…_

* * *

"Grant you the rank of Jedi Knight, the Council does."

Rhys gaped in surprise at her Master. In the few days since she killed the Sith assassin on Nar Oto, she had spent most of her time recovering in the Healer's Wing or in front of the Council to give her account of the battle.

Yoda looked proudly at his apprentice, "Ancient tradition, it is, to award the rank of Jedi Knight those that slay a Sith. Originate from the Jedi Civil War, it did. Well, you have done, Padawan."

"Th-Thank you, Master," Rhys stammered, dumbfounded, "Do you think that I'm ready to be a Jedi Knight so soon? I don't know if I have learned-"

Master Yoda interrupted her with a raise of his hand, "For more than eleven years, my apprentice, you have been. Learned much, you have. Ready, you are, if defeat the Dark Side you can. Complete, your training is."

Rhys bowed her head humbly. "I didn't think that this day would come for many more years," she admitted. Yoda chuckled and patted her shoulder.

"Ready, you are, if think that you do. Come, Padawan – a ceremony, we have."

* * *

Rhys smiled softly as she placed her severed padawan braid in a small, metal box. The ceremony to make her a fully-fledged Jedi Knight had been simple, with few of the friends she had made at the Temple over the years attending. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were both present, as were Bant and Siri. Master Keelyvine, surprisingly, made an appearance, wishing her former student luck on her future ventures. Depa Billaba, recently chosen for the Council, stood with the other Council members as Master Yoda ignited his lightsaber to cut off his padawan's braid, signifying her ascension to the rank of Jedi Knight.

As was the tradition, Rhys had preserved her braid, intending to give it to an honored friend or family member. She decided to give it to Padmé, as she knew little about the Jedi way of life and would appreciate the symbolism more than anything else. In her letters, Padmé always sounded so grown up – it was easy to forget that her sister was only eleven.

Rhys quickly sealed the box, walking through her bedroom to the main room of the apartment in 500 Republica. After killing the Sith on Nar Oto, her life in the Temple had become uncomfortable to say the least. Jedi she had never even met came up to her to congratulate her on her success – younglings, even, stared at her with something akin to hero worship in their eyes. After her Knighting Ceremony, Rhys moved all of her possessions to the stripped apartment given to her. It was a change, trading quiet halls for formal senators and aides, but Rhys reveled in the privacy that it gave her.

A gentle chime sounded from the outside door as Rhys aside the metal box. She opened it to reveal a grinning Obi-Wan.

"How does it feel to be a Jedi Knight?" he asked as she let him in.

"Well, if anything changes from the last few days, I'll be sure to let you know," she retorted, flopping on her favorite couch. Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and sat down on a nearby chair.

"Do you miss the connection with your Master?" he asked hesitantly after a while. Rhys grew solemn for a moment as she remembered when Yoda had dissolved their Master-padawan bond. It hadn't hurt physically, but the initial sensation of being truly alone in her own mind had been a little frightening at first. She could only imagine the fear and pain a padawan would feel at their Master's death.

"A little," she confessed, "I knew it had to happen, but I still miss his presence sometimes." Obi-Wan nodded, deep in thought.

"So… I guess Garen won the bet, again," she said to break the silence. Obi-Wan looked up from his thought to smile.

"I guess we all owe him twenty credits for betting on you," Obi-Wan said a little grumpily. When everyone in their group had made padawan, Garen had decided on a bet on who would be Knighted first. Most of them had bet on Reeft, as he had been padawan the longest. Garen, however, had bet on Rhys, winning him twenty credits from everyone involved. "He's going to be so smug when he gets back to the Temple," Obi-Wan groused at the thought of losing another bet to his best friend.

"When are you leaving again?" Rhys finally asked the inevitable question that always marked their meetings. Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed at his face.

"Tomorrow, for a mission on Mandalore. You?"

"Two days for a Shadow mission," Rhys replied. Completing a Shadow mission on her own wasn't new, as most of her missions were only possible by working alone.

"Well, I-" Obi-Wan was interrupted by the beeping of his communicator, signaling that a message had been sent to him. He looked at it for a fraction of a second before glancing apologetically back at Rhys. "It's Qui-Gon," he said standing up, "He wants to go over the mission information and do some research before we leave."

"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan," Rhys said as she watched her friend walk to the door.

"May the Force be with you."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

 **Hello again! I thought that I might as well do a quick update before I start the next installment of my Across The Stars fanfiction. Not really a docket today, however I will try to address some questions/concerns.**

 **Firstly, to those that have asked, yes I will be doing snippets of the Clone Wars when I get to it. Some very important scenes and conflicts will happen in the Clone War, as will some interactions between characters only seen in the Clone Wars episodes (not limited to Ahsoka, Ventress, and others).**

 **Secondly, for those that are concerned that I'm moving too fast with the time-skips and such, I will confess that I don't really have any other way. It would be far too slow to etch out every single detail as I go, but I will attempt to remedy this some with the addition of several flashbacks as I keep going. Please tell me if you have any comment whatsoever on this, as I really need to know if I'm doing anything wrong!**

 **Thirdly, I know I am a bit of a review-monger. As a first time writer, it's very important to me that I get some feedback on how I'm doing rather than continuing blindly and producing a tangled, messy web. I cannot thank you enough for all of your amazing reviews and comments!**

 **That should be it for this chapter… Disclaimer: "He's the brains, sweetheart!"… And I am not. I don't own Star Wars!**

* * *

 _One year later…_

Rhys Talik stood with her former Master, shadowed by an overhang as they watched a class of young Initiates practice their lightsaber skills. She had hardly been at the Temple at all since her Knighting Ceremony, completing no less than four off-world missions in the past year.

"Long it has been, Padawan, since observed the younglings, you have," Yoda said simply, inclining his head down in the direction of the Initiates. Rhys tried not to smile at his not-so-subtle attempt to nudge her down the road to becoming a Master.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?"

Yoda grunted as he turned towards his student, poking his gimer stick at her, "Choose you, a padawan shall. Choose their Masters, they do, as much as Masters choose padawans."

"I know, Master," Rhys said, peering over the edge at the two Initiates sparring. One of them, a Togruta female with striking purple markings on her montrals, vaulted easily to the other side of the sparring ring. Her opponent, a human boy with dark hair, tracked her movement in the air to catch up to her when she landed. Both were very skilled with their lightsabers, and couldn't be more than ten or eleven years old.

"Call to you, one of them does, hrmm?" Yoda said, gazing at the circle of Initiates gathered around the sparring ring. Rhys reached out to the Force, surprised to feel a tug in their direction. "Go to them, you shall."

Without making a sound, Rhys slipped through the shadows to the sparring match below.

* * *

Tamai Olo watched his opponent intently as she performed a complicated maneuver to evade him. The Togruta female, an eleven-year-old by the name of Iva Nanti, was one of the best in their clan with a lightsaber. Her bright blue blade spun around in dizzy circles in an attempt to disorient him.

He lunged at her defenses, finding a weak spot and forcing a blade-lock. He had the advantage of strength, but not by much – Togruta females were notoriously stronger than even their own male counterparts. Tamai got so caught up in finding another weak spot in her defense that he dropped his own guard for a matter of seconds. Iva capitalized on it immediately, dropping him to the ground with a well-placed kick.

"Well done, Initiate Nanti," their teacher, Cin Drallig complimented. Iva extended her hand to Tam, lifting him up onto his feet. "Class, we have a visitor today."

All of the Initiates perked up at the mention of a visitor – usually it meant a senior padawan coming to give a presentation. Occasionally, they would have older Masters and their new padawans to come and receive extra training or to run a new tactic or combination by the class to test it.

"Our visitor today is Knight Rhys Talik, here to observe our class," Master Drallig announced, smiling a bit at the mention of one of his favorite students. They had both worked together in the past to teach a Jar'Kai tactics class to younglings, as Rhys was very skilled in the double-bladed style.

The entire class began to murmur with excitement. _The Sithkiller, here?_ Tam thought, eyes widening. He looked down when he remembered his lost fight with Iva. _If she's looking for a padawan, it won't be me,_ he thought miserably, _She probably saw me lose and get knocked over!_ The rest of the class began gazing around the empty training room for a glimpse of the greatly-admired Jedi Shadow.

Tam rolled his eyes as most of the class fell disappointed when they didn't see her standing right in front of them. Rhys Talik was a Jedi Shadow – she would be seen when she wanted to be seen. The twenty-year-old Jedi Knight was a legend among the younglings and Initiates of the Temple – many of them would give their good saber arm to be the padawan of Master Yoda's greatest apprentice. The fact that she was never at the Temple only fueled the mystery about her.

"Be aware that even though you may not see her, she will be watching," Master Drallig said with a twinkle in his eye, "I expect you all to be on your best behavior."

With that, the sparring resumed. Tam sat down on a bench to rest while two other Initiates were called into the ring to spar. He mopped the sweat from his dark hair as he watched Iva and her friends cluster around each other, congratulating her on her win. Tam jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, whirling around to face the owner in the shadows.

"You fought well," a low voice commented as the hand withdrew. Tam peered into the darkness, discerning a dark brown tunic, twin lightsaber sheaths, and smiling eyes.

"Thanks," he gulped, stepping into the shadows that hid the corner from view. He saw more of the Jedi Knight in front of him – dark brown hair pulled tightly into a bun laced with tiny braids at the nape of her neck, a pale, heart-shaped face, and – curiously enough – several beads woven into the hair where a padawan braid used to be.

"What's your name?" she asked softly, stepping closer to him.

"Initiate Tamai Olo, Master Talik," he said, bowing slightly, "But most of my friends call me Tam."

"Well, Tam," she smiled, "I would like to ask you a very important question. You don't have to answer it right away if you don't want to, but I need to know. I've seen a lot of potential in you, and I would like to ask you if you would like to be my padawan?" Tam glimpsed a rare bit of vulnerability in her eyes, a slip in the mask of confidence she wore.

"Master, I would be honored to be your padawan," he said, prompted by the Force to do so. At his words, he felt a huge wave of relief flow through the Force that she had been holding in. "Can I ask you something, Master?"

"Anything, Tam," she said happily.

"Why did you pick me? I didn't even win the spar – Iva did! I just… don't know if I'm ready to be a padawan," Tam asked sadly, averting his eyes. Rhys chuckled as she recognized the familiar question she had often asked herself when she became Master Yoda's padawan.

"My Master often answered that question from me," she confessed, "When he did, he usually said that because I thought that way it meant I was ready."

"Master Yoda isn't wrong very often," Tam said before he could stop himself. Rhys laughed at his words.

"No, Tam, he isn't."

* * *

Master Yoda looked on approvingly as his former padawan conversed with the dark-haired Initiate below. He had sensed her apprehension at taking a padawan so soon after being Knighted, but her duty to the will of the Force took precedence over any worries she might have. The ancient Master felt a flush of pride at his padawan as she emerged from the shadows with her new apprentice, to the great surprise of the class. Master Drallig looked amused as the Initiates under his care gaped without abandon.

Yoda recalled some of his knowledge about the boy his padawan had chosen – Tamai Olo, a ten-year old human boy from Alderaan. Although he was about average as far as his strength with the Force and his lightsaber skills, he was very intelligent and level-headed. Paired with his new Master's unorthodox way of thinking and reckless streak would provide a chance for them both to learn from each other. Olo was also a very practical negotiator– much like Kenobi in that way.

As he thought about the newly made match, Yoda felt the familiar tug of the Force pulling him into a vision.

 _Rhys Talik and Obi-Wan Kenobi were walking side-by-side in one of the many Temple corridors, their robes swishing in tandem._

 _"Will you look after Tam while I'm gone?" Rhys asked, "I can't bring him on this mission with me – it's too dangerous and I don't think he could handle a full undercover mission yet."_

 _"Sure," Obi-Wan replied, fiddling with his padawan braid, "Qui-Gon and I aren't going anywhere in the next few weeks or so."_

 _"Thanks," Rhys breathed a sigh of relief, "Being a Master is both easier and harder than I thought it would be. Tam understands that I can't take him everywhere, but I'm afraid that he might start falling behind if I have to leave him alone for too long."_

 _Obi-Wan raised a hand mock-solemnly, "I swear to not let him fall behind in his duties. If anything, he can help me with research – I know he likes the Archives and Master Nu is rather fond of him."_

 _"Thanks again, Obi," Rhys said as she gave him a short hug, "I promise it won't be long this time."_

 _"Just remember to be safe – you have a padawan depending on you, you know."_

Master Yoda smiled as the vision faded out. His padawan was no longer the little girl he had met on Naboo – she had grown into a very capable Jedi Knight.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

 **One thing I forgot to address in the last chapter's A/N – Those of you that write Star Wars fanfictions (or any, really) know that it's incredibly difficult to write in this world without a crap-ton of research. I hate to ask, but if any of my readers have extremely useful links to accurate Star Wars information, I would be so grateful if you could send those to me! I love to read anything about the Star Wars universe, and would love to use any bits of information provided!**

 **Also, please mail me any preferences or bits of Star Wars lore that you would like me to include so that I can research and write about them accurately. Thanks!**

* * *

 _Two years later…_

32 BBY

Recipient: Queen Padmé Amidala

Location: Theed Palace, Naboo

I'm glad to hear of your recent election – I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for the coronation, but you know that. However, I may have an opportunity to see you soon, although I hope it doesn't come to such extreme measures.

In regard to the Trade Federation, I can't give you much advice. Neimoidians tend to be cowardly types, but that doesn't mean that someone else is pulling the strings. I don't think that it will escalate to war, but who can tell? The death of Veruna was definitely the trigger to their aggression, but more I can't say.

Tam sends his regards – I haven't told him about your coronation yet. Actually, I haven't told anyone, come to think of it. He's only two year younger than you are, but Force knows that you both act more than an adult than I do. He keeps me on the on the right side of the gray area more often than I can count. I'd say that I can only hope that he's only listening to about half the things that I say, but that would be a lie. He's going to be a great Jedi, I know it.

Give Mom, Dad, and especially Sola my love – even if she doesn't return it easily. Be careful, Padmé. Being in high places puts a larger target on your back than you would think. If it's the will of the Force, I'll be seeing you soon.

Rhys

* * *

"Good, Tam! Left up, cross defend – watch my right!"

Master and padawan were sparring in the empty Training Room, both with two lightsabers. On Tam's first trip to Ilum during the past year, he had found two green crystals needed to construct his lightsaber, creating a longer primary blade accompanied by a shorter companion. This allowed him to switch easily between fighting with one blade or two. Rhys had successfully convinced her stubborn padawan to begin learning Jar'Kai, the dual-bladed fighting style that she favored. She had made her beliefs known that Tam's Soresu wouldn't hold off a skilled opponent indefinitely, but if he mixed both attack and defense he would have a much better chance of victory.

Tam successfully blocked a swift side attack from Rhys' right saber, pushing her back. She followed with a blindingly quick combination that left him dizzy trying to keep track of her blades. Moments later, one of her amethyst blades was at his exposed throat.

"Solah, Master," he grinned as she extinguished her lightsabers. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You didn't practice last night, did you?" she accused flatly. Her twelve-year-old padawan gave a sheepish grin.

"Not exactly, no."

"Well, you better practice tonight before we leave," she said, hardly sweating as she picked up her bag.

"Leave?" Tam questioned excitedly, "Where?"

"Another mission," Rhys answered, "Be prepared to leave after the evening meal."

"Where are we going?" Tam asked as she scrambled to gather his things and follow after his Master.

"Naboo."

* * *

"Thanks for meeting on such short notice, Lam. I'm calling in a solid you owe me."

The smuggler lord Lam Ivrek grinned widely at the Jedi Knight sitting across the table from him. "For you, Tali, anything. What do you need?"

Rhys resisted the urge to smile. Ever since the battle on Nar Oto, Lam Ivrek had decided that since he owed her his life, he would do anything in his power to help her. He was her new spy on the streets of Coruscant, ship parts supplier, and occasional lunch date at Dex's in Cocotown.

"A ship. I can't take the _StarRover_ on this one," Rhys said, leaning across the table. She often borrowed from Lam's small fleet of smuggling ships when she needed a ship to fly under the radar on her Shadow missions. As much as she loved the _Rover,_ it was a little recognizable as part of the Jedi fleet. "What do you got that's fast?"

Lam grinned even wider, "I think I have somethin' that'll do the trick."

* * *

"Are you sure that it's going to even to make it out of the hangar in one piece, let alone all the way to Naboo?" Tam asked incredulously, looking at the dumpy looking ship in front of them. Rhys smiled knowingly at her padawan.

"Are you wishing that we had the _StarRover_ instead?" she asked innocently. Tam made a face at her words.

"No, but at least I know it'll make it through hyperspace," he retorted. Rhys rolled her eyes at her padawan before opening up the ramp of the Corellian YT-1300 light freighter. True, it looked like a hunk of junk, but it had it where it counted. "Can't we just take one of the nice fleet ships?"

"No, they're too recognizable. Besides, she'll make point-five past lightspeed," she called over her shoulder as she entered the ship. Tam grumbled something in reply, but Rhys didn't hear – she was too busy adjusting the controls and setting a course for Naboo.

"Does this junkyard reject have a name, by chance?" Tam asked sullenly as he plopped in the copilot's seat. Rhys smirked as she turned on the ship.

"Sure does – welcome to the _Millennium Falcon_."

* * *

True to Rhys' word, the _Millennium Falcon_ got them all the way to Naboo without so much as a single problem. The two Jedi were discreetly directed to land in the royal hangar by invitation of the Queen, who personally met them as soon as they touched down. Rhys wasn't surprised by her sister's formality in front of everyone. Both she and Tam bowed respectfully as Queen Amidala and her retinue met them.

"We welcome you to Naboo, Master Talik," Amidala said. Rhys resisted the urge to smile at her sister – Padmé was attempting to mimic her eldest sister's lower register in an attempt to mask her true voice.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Rhys replied as she and Tam fell in to step beside the red-robed Queen, "We will try our best to resolve this conflict."

"Then we will rely on your negotiations. Come, I wish to speak to you in private about our situation," Amidala said, dismissing her handmaidens and guards as she stepped into a small chamber. Once Rhys and Tam were inside and had shut the door, she hugged her sister fiercely.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to break character," Rhys cracked as Padmé released her with a smile.

"I'm so glad you came!" the girl exclaimed, her ornate hairstyle bobbing erratically.

"What…. In the Force…." Both girls turned to see Tam staring dumbfounded at them and burst into peals of laughter.

"Tam…." Rhys gasped over Padmé's giggles, "This…. Is my sister…. Padmé." Both of them laughed louder as his eyes grew wider.

"Your sister… is the Queen?"

"Recently elected, but yes," Rhys said, trying to compose herself in front of her padawan.

"And you didn't tell me?" the padawan exclaimed crossly. His Master cocked an eyebrow.

"There's a lot of things, I don't tell you, my very young apprentice." Tam huffed a sullen sigh in response, "Now get over here and introduce yourself like a nice padawan."

"Padawan Tamai Olo, Your Majesty," he said, bowing formally, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Padmé smiled as she resumed her queenly persona, "Your Master speaks well of you, Padawan Olo," then, as herself, "Thank you for watching over my sister." Tam was taken aback by the sincerity in her voice.

"Padmé, who else knows of our relationship?" Rhys asked.

"Just my handmaidens – they're some of the closest friends I have – and my head of security, Captain Panaka. He wasn't entirely happy with the idea of bringing in Jedi to settle this conflict, but he seemed to take it a bit easier when I told him why you would have my best interests at heart," Padmé replied, straightening her ornate robes.

"Good. It's for the best that we keep some things between us," Rhys said firmly.

Padmé nodded in agreement, then looked wistfully at the doors, "They're probably waiting for us."

Rhys cracked a smile at her sister mischievously, "Let's see how much trouble we're in this time, shall we?"


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

 **Happy Halloween, everybody! I tried to convince the rest of my family to go with Star Wars themed costumes this year, but no dice. We're going as Mario characters this year – Mario, Luigi, Peach, multiple colors of 'Shrooms, a Yoshi, and a Wario.**

 **This is the last chapter in Across the Stars! I honestly thought that I wasn't going to make it this far - most of my attempts at writing fizzle out after a few chapters. Rhys' story will continue in the next installment, Across the Stars: The Phantom Menace. As of yet, I haven't put it up, but rest assured that the first few chapters will be up within the next week! Without further ado… the chapter!**

* * *

Rhys tried to think of the best possible endings to this conflict as she listened to Sio Bibble, the Governor of Theed, outline the situation on Naboo. She had to admit to herself that she could see no easy way out of this. Granted, most of her missions generally went haywire at some point. Whoever said that the life of a Jedi was predictable lied through the nose.

After Sio Bibble sat down, Rhys turned to Queen Amidala. "Your Majesty, with your permission, me and my padawan would like to talk to the Trade Federation. Although I do believe that they are in the wrong, there is another side to this."

"Well said, Master Talik," Amidala replied, "You may leave at any time."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Rhys thanked her with a small nod of her head, "Is there any way to contact them aboard their starships?"

"Yes, Sabé will show you to the communications room," the Queen said, gesturing to a pink-robed handmaiden stepping forward. The Jedi took this to be their dismissal and followed Sabé out of the throne room. As soon as they were alone in the corridor, the handmaiden spoke.

"You bear a remarkable resemblance to the Queen," she remarked off-handedly.

"As do you," Rhys replied wryly, "I take it that you are her decoy?" Sabé nodded in affirmation.

"Her Majesty only agreed to Captain Panaka's plan of using a decoy once you had approved of it," Sabé continued, "She thinks very highly of you, you know."

"As I do of her – she's accomplished much at the age of fourteen." By now they had entered a small but ornate hall that led to the main holotransmitter.

"I will attend you when you have finished," Sabé said abruptly, leaving the two Jedi to continue on alone. The Master and padawan walked side-by-side as they traversed the hallway, their robes billowing in tandem.

"You know, Master, this may end up with us using aggressive negotiations," Tam remarked. Rhys cocked an eyebrow at her padawan.

"Where did you hear that?" she asked. Tam had the grace to blush a bit, dipping his head as they walked.

"Well… Padawan Kenobi might have said it once or twice on the last mission I went on with him and Master Jinn." Rhys shook her head in mock annoyance.

"If I leave you with Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi for much longer, one might think that you're his padawan instead of mine," she commented drily. The padawan grinned cheekily in response.

"Well, Master, if you didn't leave me for your Shadow missions…" he trailed off innocently. His Master wasn't fooled that easily.

"We'll see, Padawan. We'll see…"

* * *

The Viceroy of the Trade Federation Nute Gunray was not having a good day – first those Jedi had contacted him to try and gain an audience, and now Lord Sidious was appearing to give him more direction. Under the Sith Lord's instruction, any transmissions from anyone other than the Queen (especially the Jedi on the planet) were not to be given any information and directed straight to a useless protocol droid. Lord Sidious was a separate matter entirely and required a more… personal address.

"Yes, my Lord?" Gunray asked as the hooded figure of Sidious appeared on the holotransmitter.

"Viceroy…" Sidious hissed, "The Jedi that contacted you earlier today are heading up to your starship now. They could endanger the entire invasion if they warn the Queen – shoot them down before they leave the atmosphere."

"O-Of course… my Lord. It will be done," Gunray stammered before the hologram fizzled out. He hurriedly turned to one of his technicians, as if Sidious was still watching them, "Where are they?"

"Preparing to take off from Theed Palace, sir."

"Don't let them leave the planet alive."

* * *

"Are we going to tell the Queen that we couldn't reach the Trade Federation?" Tam asked, struggling to keep up with his Master as she rushed down to the hangar.

"No," she answered bluntly, "I sense that we only have a limited window of opportunity to parley with the Trade Federation. Meeting with the Queen to discuss our options will only decrease that window."

"I understand, Master, it's just that I feel like there's something else here…"

Rhys placed a hand on her padawan's shoulder, "I can feel it too, but we mustn't let our feeling get in the way of the mission." With that she entered the _Millennium Falcon_ , going straight to the pilot's seat and igniting the engines.

"All clear," Tam reported as he ran through the copilot's preflight checks. Rhys nodded in reply and deftly brought the _Falcon_ out of the hangar. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until Tam picked up something on his scopes.

"Master, incoming fighters!" he exclaimed. Rhys cursed – they were barely outside of Theed and were already being attacked?! That was a new record, even for her.

"Hang on!" she yelled as Tam braced himself for his Master's evasive tactics. They were able to evade the five incoming fighters for a few moments, but there were just too many Trade Federation ships. One scored a lucky shot on the forward stabilizer of the Falcon, sending the ship into a downward spiral to the swamps below.

* * *

Queen Padmé Amidala stood on her balcony, watching her sister's ship take off from the hangar. The old, beat-up Corellian freighter turned gracefully in the air, then sped off in the direction of the Trade Federation starships above. To her horror, Padmé watched as several fighters began shooting at the Jedi ship, finally hitting it and forcing it to careen uncontrollably into the swamps below.

Several tears fell down her painted white cheeks as the ship disappeared from view.

* * *

"Tam!" Rhys yelled over the blaring alarms in the cockpit, "I'm going to try and level the ship – take the controls!" Her padawan quickly complied with her orders as she moved to the copilot's chair. Rhys reached out, using the Force to stabilize the ship as it plummeted. With great effort, she was able to level it to the point where her apprentice could safely lower it down into an open space between the trees and water as they slid to a stop. As the Falcon's engines slowly died, Tam pried his hands from the ship's controls.

"Well… it definitely wasn't one of our finer landings…" his voice died as he took in the state of his Master, pale and shaking from overexertion. "Master!" he cried as her strength gave out and she slumped to the floor of the cockpit.

While this wasn't the first time with him that she had one of her seizures from overuse of the Force, it was the first in a very long while. After checking her vital signs and for lack of injuries, Tam hurriedly turned off all power to the Falcon, effectively hiding them from their pursuers. He knew that they couldn't stay there for long – the Trade Federation would no doubt send droids to investigate the crash site. However, there was no way that his Master could move in her state.

Making a quick decision, Tam turned on the ship's small cloaking device before turning back to his thoughts. He decided to hide them for a little longer, taking the time to collect the loose tree branches around the ship and use them to camouflage them from prying eyes. It wasn't perfect, but it would definitely buy them more time if their pursuers happened upon their location. When he returned to the cockpit of the Falcon, he was surprised to see his Master attempting to sit up, but failing miserably.

"Here, Master," he said, gently helping her limp form back into the seat. For once, Tam was glad that his Master was so thin – he and Obi-Wan both gave her grief about her abnormal eating and sleeping habits that caused her to have a skinnier than usual body frame.

"What… what I do… without you, Tam?" she breathed heavily. The padawan smirked.

"You'd still be lying on the floor, that's what," he said matter-of-factly. Rhys gave a weak smile in reply, "I've turned on the cloaking device, and covered our trail. They should at least have to put forth a bit of effort before they find us."

"You did… all that… while I was… napping?"

Tam smiled proudly, "Well, you did tell me what to do in event of an emergency crash without you – I was just glad that I remembered it!"

"You did well…" Rhys said, regaining a bit of strength as she massaged her throbbing temples, "Send the emergency distress call to Coruscant, and see if my datapad is still working. I need to contact the Queen immediately."

Tam nodded his assent and quickly hurried to obey his Master's orders. As soon as Tam handed her the datapad, Rhys hurriedly sent a message to Padmé:

 **Don't worry, we're fine. Calling for help. Stay where you are.**

 **Rhys**

 _I hope she won't do anything rash_ , Rhys thought as she sent the message before turning the datapad off. Padmé, it seemed, had inherited the occasional recklessness and impulsiveness that her eldest sister shared.

"Master, I sent the code," Tam reported, "Now what?"

Rhys sighed softly, fixing her padawan with her gaze, "Now we wait."

Obi-Wan tried to resist the urge to fidget nervously as he and Qui-Gon waited outside the Council chambers. They had returned from their latest mission not four hours previously, and were already heading out for another one. No matter how many missions he went on, Obi-Wan still got a little nervous at the thought of standing in front of the Council for a debriefing.

As soon as the doors to the Council chambers opened, Qui-Gon quickly went inside, tailed by his padawan as he took his place in the center of the room. Obi-Wan could sense something strange – an unfamiliar feeling of urgency and worry.

"Master Jinn," Mace Windu said, acting as the speaker for the Council, "Yesterday, Master Talik and her padawan were sent to Naboo to preside over the dispute between the Trade Federation and the Naboo. We received their emergency signal this morning. According to her padawan, they were shot down over Theed as they attempted to contact the Trade Federation."

Obi-Wan's heart beat a little faster with worry for his friend as Mace Windu continued to speak, "The Chancellor has also requested that we send two Jedi as Ambassadors to the Trade Federation. Your secondary mission is to locate and make sure that Master Talik and Padawan Olo are safe. They will assist you in your mission. May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon bowed as they were dismissed. As soon as they were out of the Council chambers, Qui-Gon turned to his padawan.

"We don't have much time – pack your bags quickly and meet me in the hangar in twenty minutes."


	32. Chapter 32

**Hello again, SpeechBubbleMe here! As per the request of ColdOnePaul (thanks a ton, by the way) here is my official notice that the second installment of my Across the Stars series, Across the Stars: The Phantom Menace, is now up! Thank you to all of my persistent readers and reviewers - I don't know what I'd do without you! I would absolutely love it if all of you would continue to follow and read my next story. Everyone pray to the Star Wars Gods of Creativity for me! See you all soon!**


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